Trials and Tribulations
by MercuryGoddess
Summary: {AU - Part One of Dealing With Fate Trilogy} After having his trust shattered, Sora sets out to get through the trials and tribulations of sophomore year; some extra help happens to come from a certain silver-haired boy... (RikuxSora) UPDATE 11-13-04!
1. Trials and Tribulations 1

Author Notes: I'm back with my second Kingdom Hearts fanfiction. I just got this idea and I love it. I hope you guys do to! Well, enough of my notes. To the story we go!!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames about this topic because I plainly put my warning here!   
  
Reminder:  
  
"............" Means talking  
  
(............) Means author's notes  
  
*...........* Means an action  
  
~..........~ Means thinking  
  
'………' Means past sayings  
  
.......... Means a place  
  
Trials and Tribulations  
  
Chapter One   
  
*BEEP BEEP BEEP*  
  
The alarm clock beeped repeatedly until a fist came down upon it. The owner of the fist groaned sleepily, profanities escaping his mouth as he sat up and wiped the residue of exhaustion from the corner of his mouth. Throwing the covers off of his bare chest, he picked up the clock and glared at it as if it would rewind back to nighttime so he could sleep. The teenage boy with cinnamon brown hair and beautiful sapphire eyes dropped the clock carelessly on the nightstand and headed over to the bathroom, which was only a couple of steps away. "SORA HONEY, ARE YOU UP?" a feminine voice called from downstairs. The boy named Sora grumbled and proceeded to strip down to take a shower. ~Why couldn't I just fail the entrance exams?~ he thought to himself wearily. ~I'd be better off a bum on the street than going to school. Enough things have happened in middle school...~  
  
:Flashback:  
  
The ending class bell rung loudly, signaling to the students that school was over. Everyone excitedly jumped from his or her seats, glad that winter break was finally here. Even the teacher packed her things in a hurry. Sora got up from his place in the middle of the room and walked out into the hallway, avoiding the football players and saying hi to his associates when he got the chance. Making a right, Sora stopped in the middle of the hallway. His crush Kairi, who happened to be the most popular girl in school, was putting her things in her backpack. Their lockers happened to be next to each other, causing Sora to stay away from his locker as much as possible. Even though Kairi and him used to be childhood friends, that friendship was broken as soon as they entered middle school. Kairi became popular and Sora became...unpopular. For the sake of her status, she deserted him. Despite all that, Sora managed to still have a crush on her.   
  
"Hey Sora, what's up?"  
  
Sora turned around to his group of friends approach him, consisting of three girls and two guys. The first girl was medium height with dark shoulder length hair, light brown highlights and onyx eyes. She wore a light blue jumper covered by a matching duster and black boots. White angel wings were on the back of the duster. The second girl had on an indian-brown sleeveless shirt with a matching skirt. She had dark brown arm warmers and black gloves to match her knee-high black boots. Her blond hair was in a clip while two locks of it hung in front for bangs, accenting her sky blue eyes. The third girl was medium height with shoulder length brown hair, one emerald eye and one sapphire eye. Her sleeveless shirt crossed at the center and stopped right above her purple skirt with floral patterns at the bottom. Long, draping sleeves were attached at her elbow and a large yellow and green belt was around her waist, making a neat bow in the back. The outfit was complete with short black boots and a hair accessory hanging to the right of her face. The first guy had mid-back long brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail, two locks of it pulled in front to make bangs. A purple sleeveless vest went perfectly with his brown pants, knee-length coat and black cowboy boots. A black cowboy hat on his head and a chain around his neck completed the outfit. The second guy and final member of the group had short blond hair that was combed backward and stunning green eyes. His long gray trench coat with red crosses adorned on each sleeve covered the black and white vest and black pants. Leather gloves covered his hands while black boots covered his feet. A smirk was set on his face.   
  
"Hi." Sora said quietly.  
  
"What's wrong?" the girl with shoulder length dark hair said.   
  
"Nothing, Rinoa," Sora replied looking over his shoulder.  
  
"You like you're going to cry," the blond girl stated matter-of-factly.  
  
"I'm not, Quistis."  
  
"You guys leave him alone," the girl with shoulder length brown hair. "But let me ask: Is it about Kairi?"  
  
Sora looked down and blushed. Even though everyone was older than him, they still knew them well enough to read his thoughts. "Yea I guess..."  
  
"Then we got good news," the guy with the ponytail added. "That chick over there wants you to ask her out."  
  
Sora's head snapped up and he stared at the older male in genuine happiness. "Really, Irvine?!"  
  
"Yea, squirt, so go and ask her," the final group member stated.   
  
"But Seifer, what is she--"  
  
"No, buts! Don't be a wuss. Go after her!"   
  
Seifer concluded his statement by pushing Sora roughly towards Kairi. Sora looked behind him hesitantly, only to be encouraged by his group of friends. Gaining confidence, Sora broadened his shoulders and walked up to Kairi. She had just finished putting her stuff in her backpack when Sora approached her. She raised her eyebrow in questioning and annoyance. Sora smiled at her. "Kairi, will you go out with me?"  
  
Kairi stepped back and gasped with horror etched in her features. "What?!"  
  
Laughter filled the hallway as Sora turned around and faced his "so called" friends. Each one of them was crying from laughter, clutching their sides and pointing at him. Sora backed away, not believing the sight before him. More laughter erupted from the other end of the hallway as Sora kept backing up until he hit a locker. Kairi's group of friends laughed and joked about the pain-stricken boy. Sora's eyes darted from one group to the next, all laughing at his misery. Tears filled his betrayed sapphire eyes as he did the only thing he could do. Run. He left his books, the mockery, and his ability to trust behind him that day.  
  
:End Flashback:  
  
(Sora and Kairi=7th grade; Rinoa, Quistis, Yuna, Irvine and Seifer=8th grade)  
  
A stray tear escaped from Sora's eyes as he stepped into the shower. He brushed it away quickly, his eyes hardening every second. ~I'm not trusting anyone. Ever!~  
  
Lathering the washcloth with soap, he washed himself thoroughly, every now and then dreaming of his perfect fantasy life, which consisted of being far away from here. The hot water beating on his face and body did nothing to snap him out of his stupor as he washed himself almost mechanically. Several minutes passed before the water was shut off and the drenched sixteen-year-old stepped out, grabbing a towel and drying himself. "SORA, HURRY UP! YOU'RE GOING TO BE LATE!"  
  
Not speeding up his pace at all, Sora walked back into his room and quickly dressed. He checked himself in the mirror and smiled in satisfaction. He sported baggy khaki pants that covered his red and white shoes and a crimson short-sleeved shirt. A silver pendent in the shape of a crown hung from around his neck, matching the chain of crowns connecting his belt loop and his pants leg pocket. He grabbed the yellow backpack thrown in the corner of his room and headed out into the hall. Rushing down the carpet-covered stairs, Sora made a sharp right into the kitchen, where his mother awaited him. "Here eat this, Sora."  
  
"No thanks Mom, I got to get to school," he declined, taking a piece of toast from the full plate of food.   
  
Sora's mom crossed her arms with frown and blocked his path. "You will eat this, young man," she said sternly. "Breakfast helps---"  
  
"--you function well in school. Your brain is the car and food is its fuel. You can't run on fumes, yes I know," Sora recited the well-known speech. Since his mother and his father were in the medical field, these speeches came at least every other day, which annoyed Sora to no end. He loved his mother and his father, but the constant nagging about staying healthy gave Sora a good reason to want to leave the house as soon as possible.  
  
The restating of her speech only caused his mom to smile and kiss her son tenderly on the forehead. "I love you too much to let you starve yourself. Now eat!"  
  
Sora sighed and reluctantly sat down, digging into the plate of food set before him. He truly was hungry; his mother didn't need to know that, though. Finishing in a matter of minutes, Sora gulped down the orange juice and headed to the door. "See ya."  
  
Shutting the door behind him, Sora jumped off of the porch. He saw his two friends and ran over to them. "Hey guys!"   
  
A blond boy with tanned skin and cerulean eyes turned at the voice of Sora, flashing him a bright smile. He wore a yellow sleeveless shirt that showed off his well-developed muscles and blue jean shorts, one pant leg shorter than the other. The outfit was complete with bulky yellow and black hiking boots. In his hand was a medium-sized blue ball, which he proceeded to twirl on his middle finger. "Hey, what's up?"  
  
"Hiya Sora!" a squeal came from next to the blond-haired boy. A girl dressed in a yellow jumper and brown leather boots that reached her knees jumped over to Sora. Her shoulder length brown hair that curled at the ends bounced as she made her way over to him. Hugging him tightly, she gazed into his eyes with her own emerald eyes. "Long time no see!"  
  
"Selphie, we just saw each other two days ago." Sora stated, laughing.  
  
"Oh yea....but oh well! I still missed ya."  
  
"That's really good to know," he said in mock happiness. "Tidus, what is with your girlfriend?"  
  
Tidus only smiled and put an arm around her. "She's adorable this way."  
  
Sora shrugged, inwardly rolling his eyes. Despite the fact of being complete opposites, his two friends still managed to get together. Tidus has been this way ever since; making sweet and cute compliments about Selphie. It was pretty creepy. ~I hope I never fall in love if I act like that!~   
  
Walking towards the school, Sora looked back and motioned to his two good friends. "We have to go before we're late!"   
  
With that, the three companions ran towards their new school, Kado High School.  
  
~*~  
  
They arrived just in time to go the office and get their schedules. With only a few minutes left to spare, the three friends exchanged schedules and went on their way. The first class was homeroom with Mr. Shin, a stout bald man with as much hair as his patience. None. Sora arrived right at the bell, only to be glared at by the impatient homeroom teacher. "Welcome to Class B," he said in a sarcastic monotonous voice. "If you abide by my rules, then we will be the best of friends."  
  
He scanned over the students until his eyes fell directly onto Sora. "If you don't," he continued, bearing into Sora with his piercing stare, "Then you will most definitely fall on my bad side."  
  
Sora frowned, hating every essence of this man already. He stared back with equal ferocity, earning curious looks from various students. Whispers began to flitter through the air as Sora and Mr. Shin continued their heated staring contest. Deciding to break it off, Mr. Shin broke his stare and turned to the board. "My name is Mr. Shin." He wrote his name slowly on the chalkboard. Sora smiled to himself at his silent victory only to be interrupted from his self-congratulating. He slowly looked to his left to find a silver-haired boy with keen sea-green eyes watching him intently. The boy turned away as soon as Sora looked his way, leaving him to wonder about his mysteriousness. While the other students chattered idly amongst themselves, the boy seemed to stay by himself, avoiding the girls who hounded him. Sora couldn't be help but be captivated by this 'loner wolf' behavior, especially since the boy was already gorgeous. ~What a minute?! Boy? Gorgeous?! No! I am strictly into girls...~  
  
His thoughts were interrupted when the boy stood up and began walking toward him. Sora began to panic, looking around the room to avoid the boy's penetrating stare. As the boy got closer, Sora picked up his backpack and attempted to head to the other side of the room only to be stopped by the latter's strong grip on his shoulder. The hand turned Sora around, forcing him to face him. The sea-green eyes bore into his soul, rummaging through his thoughts and desires. It was unnerving.   
  
The boy began to smirk at the frightened Sora. "Is there something that interest you about me? Your staring went on for quite some time."  
  
Sora blushed furiously and backed away from his hold. ~I...was staring?! Oh, shit...~ "I-i was only looking at you because you were watching me!"  
  
His smirk only widened, causing naughty images to pop right back into Sora's mind. "Don't sound so frightened. I don't bite that hard."  
  
Sora looked at him incredulously. The boy only laughed, causing Sora to laugh nervously with him.   
  
"My name is Riku."  
  
Sora looked back at the loner, surprise that he introduced himself. "Mine's Sora."  
  
The bell suddenly rang; the students in the homeroom pouring out of the classroom to go their next class. Riku smirked one more time and began to follow the crowd. "See ye around."  
  
Sora mumbled his goodbyes, watching the silver-haired boy leave the room in a proud, confident stride. Sora collapsed into the seat, shaken up by this feeling inside of him. ~Why is my heart beating so fast?~   
  
"Sir, the class has left. Go to your next class."  
  
Sora looked at Mr. Shin and smiled apologetically, then left the room in a hurry, the strange feeling never leaving him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Well, I'm finished. Hope ya like it as much as I do. Review! Now!  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	2. Trials and Tribulations 2

Author Notes: I'm glad that everyone is liking this story! Sorry for the delay, but I wrote this chapter and hated it so I rewrote it! I really hope it is to your satisfaction. But I won't know unless you tell me so please read and review!  
  
Special Thanks To: Sora otaku, dragonuk, Lost, Bella, ~TUKIMO~, Luna Catt99, Skye, Heather Christi, and Quicksilver The Pained Goddess!   
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Rating: There are some rated R-ish scenes in here.  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
*..............* Means an action  
  
~..............~ Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
^..............^Means a small voice in head  
  
Trials and Tribulations  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Part One  
  
After dealing with three more classes, lunchtime finally came. Sora let out a sigh of relief, for his classes had caused him to be a bundle of nerves all day. It turned out that Riku was in most of his periods since he was in honors classes; Even though he hated school, that didn't justify bad grades. Because of their last names, Riku and Sora sat next to each other in almost every class. The mere fact that Sora actually had to sit next to that gorgeous boy jumbled his thoughts. In his Algebra 2 class, the teacher asked him to solve a simple geometry problem for review and he messed it up because of the keen sea-green eyes that bore into the side of his face. Riku seemed to notice this as well; Every chance he got, he would pick on the younger boy. Not necessarily in a bad way, but not in a good way either.  
  
Now, he was in the comforts of his two good friends, with Selphie on his left and Tidus on his right. He was going to have a good lunch, then attempt to survive the rest of his torturous classes. At the moment, eating and relaxing were the only things he had in mind. "So guys, how was class?" Sora asked trying to make small talk.  
  
Selphie let out a dramatic sigh and placed her hand on her forehead, trying to resemble a damsel in distress. "It was awful! My homeroom teacher was nice, but all my other teachers just plain sucked!!"  
  
Tidus moved over to Selphie and placed an arm around her shoulders. "My classes actually weren't that bad. I like this school a lot better than middle school though."  
  
Sora couldn't help but wince when he heard the phrase 'middle school', for it caused some unpleasant memories to resurface once again. Flashes of Kairi's horror filled face crossed his mind while the atrocious laughter rung through his ears. Feeling the depression began to slowly emerge, Sora tried his hardest to prevent it from coming up by doing the thing he does best. Fake smiling. "All c'mon guys! That was the past! It's time to move on and create better memories here in high school!"  
  
~If only I could follow my own advice!~ He placed both of his arms behind his head and gave off a watered down version of his trademark smile. "Now let's get some lunch! I'm starved."  
  
Leaving his friends behind, Sora proceeded to jog into the large cafeteria. The tables were jammed packed with hungry high school students, talking amongst themselves. Sora looked for the beginning of the cafeteria line as he pulled money out of his pants. Selphie and Tidus appeared behind him, carrying their bagged lunches. "Hey Sora, we'll meet you in the courtyard, ok?" Selphie said as she waved.  
  
Sora nodded and headed to the right of the cafeteria where the line had formed. He stood in line, looking nervously around him until he stopped and spotted a pair of sea-green eyes. ~Oh shit, its Riku! I have to get out of here.~  
  
Deep down, Sora wanted to stay and stare right back at him, but his fear overpowered that urge and he looked around frantically, searching for a way to leave but still have lunch. Suddenly, the silver haired boy began to walk in the direction of him, creating the scene back in homeroom all over again. Before Sora had a chance to ponder a plan of escape, Riku had already reached him, smirking. Sora noticed just now that two boys were behind him and were just as handsome as Riku. The one behind Riku on his left had shoulder length chocolate brown hair and stormy grayish-blue eyes. A diagonal jagged scar was embedded in the boy's face and the chiseled structure of his face made him look older than a high schooler. His slim hips hugged tight black leather pants while his well-muscled chest hugged his tight white shirt that had a small black jacket over it. Three brown belt buckles were clasped on his lower left arm. They matched the crisscrossing belts at his waist as well. A silver pendent in the shape of a roaring lion gleamed off of his chest and bulky black boots covered his feet. His face displayed nothing but emotionless-ness. The boy had "enticing and erotic" practically screaming from him. ~He would be sexy if I wasn't into girls! Girls, Sora! Girls!!~  
  
The boy behind Riku on his right was just as sexy if not more than the other young man. He had spiky blonde hair and sapphire blue eyes that almost matched the intensity of his own. He sported a tight sleeveless maroon turtleneck that went perfectly with his baggy black pants. Bulky black boots covered his feet. His expression revealed as much as the other boy's. Absolutely nothing. "Hey Sora," Riku's deep rich voice said.  
  
Sora's knees felt as if they would go out, the strange feeling returning to him at full force. ~Why do I feel this way?~ "Hey, what's up?" he replied shakily.  
  
"I just wanted to introduce you to some friends of mine. This is Leon," he stated pointing to his left, "And this is Cloud."  
  
Leon and Cloud only nodded as their greetings. Sora gave them a hesitant smile, then focused his gaze back on Riku. "So..."  
  
"I was wondering if you would wanna have lunch with us?" Riku asked, his voice still bold and confident.  
  
Sora almost stepped back in shock. Riku...asked him to have lunch! Half of him wanted to run away and hide in a corner but the other half...the other half screamed yes several times. The two different opinions caused his mind to go blank and he tried decide whether he wanted to or not. ~I should go ahead and do it. I mean what is a little lunch going to do? It's not like he's asking me on a date...~   
  
"Sure, I'll eat lunch with you guys."  
  
Quickly grabbing some fries and a bottle of juice, Sora paid for it and walked with the older boys across the cafeteria. The group of boys weaved through the crowded place, occasionally pushing some of the people who were in their way. Sora walked as fast as he could, trying to keep up with the long strides of his new friends. After a few moments, the group arrived to their destination. A small table under a cherry blossom tree outside. The sun peaked through its leaves, blinding Sora momentarily. Blinking his eyes rapidly to rid himself of the spots that appeared in front of him, Sora sat down and began to eat his lunch, looking at the older boys around him. While Leon and Cloud were as stoic as always, Riku ate his lunch with an amused smile on his face. Sora found this to be very frustrating. I mean, what was he amused about? Throwing his empty bottle away, Sora stood up. "I'm going to get some more juice," he said while turning around.  
  
"Are you sure you can get there ok?" Riku asked with mock concern.  
  
Sora glared at Riku, earning him one of Riku's teasing smirks. Deciding not to retort, Sora headed back into the cafeteria. Thoughts of the silver-haired boy saturated his mind in spite of his annoyance for the older boy. ~Why do I think of him so much? And why does he look at me like that?~  
  
^Probably because he likes you!^ a small voice perked up in the deep recesses of his mind.   
  
Sora scoffed. ~Isn't my conscious supposed to help me instead of making ridiculous statements?~  
  
^Think about it. He watches your every move with an amused smile on his face. You intrigue him! Besides, you act like you don't enjoy it!^  
  
~Wha....~ Technically, Sora couldn't deny that. He DID enjoy the attention he was getting from Riku. He enjoyed being around him and talking to him and everything else that pertained to the older boy. But he was scared. He was frightened to death of being really close to anyone again. He didn't even tell Tidus and Selphie everything even though they were the closest people to him. Riku made him want to sit the boy down and spill his heart out to him; his emotions, fears, greatest desires, greatest worries....and when he told Riku all that, he wanted the older boy to embrace him and tell him things may not get better, but I will be here to protect you...  
  
Sora sighed, cursing himself for having such foolish feelings. Trusting anyone is idiotic. All they do is use what you told them to their advantage. So the best thing to do is be alone. Running his hand through his unruly cinnamon brown hair, Sora sighed once more. ~Riku is probably waiting for the perfect chance to taunt me. Well, I am not falling for that again!~  
  
*BAM*  
  
The world seemed tilted and distorted as Sora clutched his head in pain, closing his eyes tightly to still the spinning world. Opening his eyes slowly, Sora looked in front of him. An upperclassman in what looked to be wearing a very expensive jacket was covered with pop, his black hair soaked with the sticky substance. His onyx eyes burned with rage and his fist clenched and unclenched repeatedly as if to ease his increasing anger. Sora cursed to himself and stood up, brushed himself off, and walked over to the angered boy. ~Damnit, I was daydreaming and ran into him...~  
  
Reaching his hand out, Sora smiled apologetically at him. "I'm really sorry."  
  
The boy looked at the outstretched hand, then back at Sora, plastering a fake smile on his face to mimic Sora. "It's ok..." he said slowly. Abruptly, he yanked on Sora's arm, causing the younger boy to fall on top of him. "I'll feel better when I beat the shit out of you!!"  
  
Grabbing Sora into a headlock, the boy began to punch Sora repeatedly in the stomach. Students gathered around; some cheered for the older boy while others begged him to stop. Finally, Sora managed to pull away, scrambling to safety to catch his breath. Clutching his stomach, Sora wobbly got up, only to be knocked right back down by a fierce punch to the face. Resting on the cold floor of the cafeteria, Sora's eyes struggled to stay focused as the foot from his oppressor kicked him in the ribs over and over again. As darkness began to seep into his vision, Sora caught a brief glimpse of silver hair, then drifted off into unconsciousness.  
  
^*^  
  
"Sora..."  
  
The deep, rich voice was faint and distant, yet it was filled with passion, causing Sora to lift his head up and look around. The sky was lit with the scorching sun, its rays stretched out to reach every nook and cranny of the island. The ocean churned softly, its waves hitting the beach to create a melodious sound. Seagulls littered the sky, soaring through its blue depths gracefully. Sora sighed in peace, but his breath soon came to a stop because of the sight before him. A silver-haired angel was standing in the ocean with nothing on but tight blue swimming shorts. He turned around, revealing keen sea-green eyes and a body only a god could have. His chiseled chest with droplets of clear water glimmering off of it caused Sora's mouth to completely dry out. Powerful legs held up his toned torso. A smirk adorned the boy's face as he began to walk towards Sora with long, prideful strides, his eyes captivating the boy in front of him. Reaching Sora, he bent down and pushed Sora onto the burning sand, staring deeply into his eyes. Sora was petrified in place, drowning in the sea-green orbs in front of him. He unconsciously licked his lips, never breaking his gaze away from this sight of perfection. Suddenly, the angel's lips captured his own with crushing force as if he was fulfilling a need. Letting his lustful mind take over, Sora wrapped his arms around him, kissing him with as much intensity as the boy previously did. He soon felt a velvety tongue brush across his bottom lip and complied to the non-verbal question. Their tongues danced heatedly, each of them exploring the wet chambers while their bodies rubbed against each other frantically. Sora could feel his painful erection as well as the older boy's, which aroused him even more. He soon felt those luscious lips leave his own and travel on a downward pattern; down his neck, down his chest, over his stomach until finally he reached the waistband of his swimming trunks...  
  
"Yo Sora!"  
  
"Sora, are you ok?!"  
  
The concerned voices rung with clarity through the blue sky, which ended up making the object of his adoration vanish abruptly. The beach and the ocean began to fade as well and were replaced with a brick room that was painted white. Rising slowly, Sora rubbed his eyes sleepily. As he touched his left eye, pain shot through his body, causing him to wince. As best as he could, Sora looked around. Tidus and Selphie were on his left and Leon and Cloud were on his right. Riku stood at the front of his bed. "Looks like you had a pretty good dream there, Sora," he said looking at Sora.  
  
Sora's eyes widened in alarm. He slowly looked downward and discovered a large bulge protruding from the blanket. His face immediately turned crimson as he grabbed a pillow and placed it in front of him.   
  
"Sora, are you ok?" Selphie asked, completely ignoring Riku's statement.   
  
Even though Sora wasn't, he still managed to give Selphie a weak smile. "I'm fine, Selphie."  
  
Attempting to prove his point, Sora threw back the covers - still holding the pillow - and stood up. Pain coursed through his body with such intensity that he was forced to kneel, causing Selphie to let out a small scream of horror. "Sora, you shouldn't be straining yourself!"  
  
With rare seriousness, Selphie picked up Sora with determination instilled in her features. She then set him on the bed, her determined face now replaced with a scolding one. "Sora, you will stay in this bed until we get back!"  
  
Sora sighed, knowing that once Selphie commanded something that it was most likely going to be written in stone. Leaning back, Sora watched Selphie and Tidus leave the room. Leon and Cloud soon followed with Riku lagging behind them. "Riku, wait!"  
  
Riku turned in response to his name being called. Walking back towards the bed, he looked at Sora, his eyebrows raised questioningly. "Yes?"  
  
"You...helped me, didn't you?"  
  
Riku's eyes widened from slight shock, but it was soon replaced by that amused smirk. "That wasn't a problem was it?" he asked mockingly.  
  
Sora smiled genuinely, shaking his head. "No. It wasn't a problem at all."  
  
Riku turned to face the door, looking at Sora through the corner of his eye. "So, what was that dream about?"  
  
Sora coughed loudly, a crimson blush returning to his face. Flashes of the dream crossed his mind; Riku standing in the water, Riku walking toward him with a look of seduction, Riku crawling on top of him, Riku kissing him....  
  
"You don't want to know."  
  
^*^  
  
Ok, I'm finished with part one! I'm not cruel enough to leave you here so here goes part two! Oh yea, Sora is in the hospital, not the nurses office at school. Enjoy...  
  
^*^  
  
Trials and Tribulations  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Part Two  
  
It's been a week since the incident and Sora was about to lose his sanity. Even though his friends and family visited him at least twice a day, the fact that he was confined really irked him. He couldn't do almost everything without the help of others; bathing, dressing, etc. The only real thing he could do was eat the nasty hospital food set in front of him. Selphie and Tidus were really generous though and offered to cook meals for him. He gratefully accepted.  
  
Riku on the other hand came with the homework and the new lessons. The school placed him in all of his classes because of this incident, so he was in charge of teaching Sora the new lessons and explaining the homework. Sometimes, he would even bring tests and/or quizzes back to the hospitals just to make sure Sora got the material. Over the last week, Riku and Sora had become very close; Riku stopped teasing him so much and Sora wasn't nearly as frightened of him as he used to be. To their surprise, they had a lot in common and their conversations usually lasted over two hours or until Sora's mother came in and demanded that 'her baby' needed to get rest. Riku was like a different person around his parents. The cool, uninviting presence was replaced with that of warmth. He didn't smirk around him like he usually did; he would genuinely smile, making him even more beautiful than he already was. Just when Sora was starting to figure Riku out, he has a whole new side, unexplored and unknown. It was the most intriguing thing Sora had ever faced. The only problem was that if he tried to figure out why Riku is so mysterious, Riku might want to know more about Sora in exchange. As much as he wanted to, he couldn't let his guard down.  
  
To Sora's disbelief, he had to stay in the hospital for another two weeks. Apparently, the upperclassman - whose name happened to be Kado, for his father owned the school - had fractured most of his rib bones when he was kicking him. Because of his daydreaming, Sora had gotten beat up on the first day of school and was now forced to stay in a hospital bed for two more weeks. Life was really starting to suck.  
  
His mother and father had just left his room after an extensive lecture about this incident. Most of the lecture he tuned out and wondered where Riku was at the time. His thoughts were interrupted when, surprisingly, Riku walked into the room carrying books and papers. He wore a serious expression on his face instead of that amused smirk which worried Sora a bit. Riku caught Sora's gaze and gave him a small smile. Not a smirk, but an actual smile. ~He's...even more beautiful when he smiles...~  
  
Placing the books down on a nearby table, Riku walked to the hospital bed and sat down. "Hey Sora, I got your homework from today and notes that were taken for you."  
  
Leaning over to the table, Riku snatched the papers under the books and handed them to Sora. "Here. Japanese Literature, AP U.S History, English, and Algebra 2."  
  
Sora took the papers and skimmed them over before throwing them carelessly onto a nightstand next to him. He buried his head in the pillow. "Thanks..." he mumbled.  
  
Riku watched the cinnamon-haired boy from a moment. Sighing, he got up and ruffled the younger boy's hair before headed towards the door. "Riku...?"  
  
Turning around, Riku looked at Sora who was now in an upright position. His voice was hesitant and filled with a lot of timidity. He has never seen this side of Sora before. Walking back to the bed, Riku sat down with hidden concern. "Yes, Sora?"  
  
Casting his sapphire eyes downward, Sora continued to speak. "Why...did you help me that day?"  
  
Riku was certainly taken aback by the question, but nonetheless answered it. "I couldn't let you get beat up like that, Sora."  
  
"But you barely knew me!" he exclaimed. Of course he was grateful, but the thought really was bothering him.   
  
Riku did nothing but smile at that statement and ruffled his hair playfully. "I have to save the young ones. They are the next generation!"  
  
Sora looked at Riku incredulously, then glared at Riku for joking with him. "I'm serious," he half whined, half proclaimed. Despite all his efforts, his lower lip jutted out into a small childlike pout and he crossed his arms. It was Riku's turn to look at him incredulously. "Are you pouting?!"  
  
Sora turned out of Riku's line of view, trying his hardest to stop pouting. Riku followed his motion, looking at his face. After a few minutes, Riku began to laugh. Sora watched him in silent shock, for he had never heard Riku laugh before. This was not a small chuckle, but a deep, pure laugh. It was melodious to Sora's ears.  
  
"I can't believe you pout," Riku exclaimed while clutching his stomach. Small glistening tears had formed at the corners of Riku's sea green eyes from laughing so hard. Sora almost laughed himself.  
  
"I can't help it," Sora replied. "I did it all the time as a child and now I can't break the habit."  
  
"What else did you do as a child?" Riku questioned, leaning back on the bed to be parallel to Sora.   
  
The question certainly stunned Sora. No one had asked him that before. Not even Selphie and Tidus. "Well, you know, I did stuff that children usually do..." he answered, purposely avoiding specificity. Riku was trying to get close to him. He could tell by the questions Riku had been asking him all week. ~I have to remember to keep to myself.~  
  
Riku looked at him, disbelief etched in his features. Sora laughed nervously and shifted around in the bed to avoid the penetrating stare of his friend. He felt a hand be placed on his shoulder. "Why do you avoid questions regarding the past?" he whispered softly.  
  
Sora tensed. ~So Riku had noticed that. Damn...~ He opened his mouth to say something but it cut off. "What are you so afraid of, Sora?"  
  
Sora almost laughed at that question. There were many words that could describe his what he was afraid of.  
  
Rejection.  
  
Deceit.  
  
Abandon.  
  
Hurt.  
  
Pain.  
  
Betrayal.  
  
The list goes on. His trust was shattered once and he was not about to let it happen again. "Sora, I'll be here if you need someone to talk to. Even though we haven't known each other long, I feel as if I could tell you anything."  
  
Sora's eyes widened at his proclamation. ~He.....~  
  
A dry laugh escaped Riku's lips. "I don't expect you to feel the same way, but I just wanted to let you know."  
  
He stood up, but not before leaning over and whispering in Sora's ear. "I'll be the shoulder you cry on, Sora. Its time you stop crying alone."  
  
With that, Riku left the room, leaving a dazed Sora behind.  
  
^*^  
  
~Local Restaurant~  
  
"OH MY GOD! THE FOUR KEYS ARE COMING TO DESTINY ISLANDS?"  
  
Kairi laughed as her friend just found out the big news. The most famous boy band, the Four Keys, were coming to Destiny Islands for a concert. It was in a month and everyone already had a ticket for it.  
  
"Kairi, why didn't you tell me? I don't have a ticket!!"  
  
"Don't worry, Garnet, I bought you a ticket!"  
  
Her friend jumped up and hugged her fiercely. "Thank you, Kairi! I owe you one!"  
  
Kairi only nodded, half paying attention to her rambling. She was truly worried about Sora. The talk she had with Tidus and Selphie didn't ease her mind at all.  
  
:Flashback:  
  
"Whoa, come on and look at this kid get clobbered by Kado!"  
  
All her friends eager stood from their table and raced over the crowd of people. Kairi followed hesitantly, hating the sight of blood. When she got there, her friends were cheering Kado enthusiastically. Kairi got on her tiptoes and peered into the newly formed circle. She finally got a good view of the people and clasped her hand over her mouth in horror, suddenly wishing she didn't. Sora laid bruised and battered on the ground while Kado kicked him repeatedly in the ribs. His tanned face was extra pale and his left eye was swollen to extra large proportions. His unruly hair was more messed than usual, soaked in sweat. Suddenly, a silver haired boy jumped into the middle of the circle, grabbing the Kado and hitting him in the face. Unable to watch anymore, Kairi backed away slowly, then ran to the nurses office. Upon her arrival, she spotted Tidus and Selphie frantically talking to the nurse. "Hey guys!"  
  
Tidus and Selphie only looked at her briefly before returning to the conversation with the nurse. Somewhat annoyed, Kairi walked over to the couple, concern in her eyes. "What happened with Sora?"  
  
Tidus looked at her, disgust clearly in his eyes. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"  
  
Kairi stepped back from the boy whose hatred emitted from him. "W-What do you mean?"  
  
"You can stand seeing him mentally battered, but you can't bear to see him hurt physically?"  
  
His question sliced through her like a sharp knife. Instant regret and sadness began to emerge as she looked into Tidus' hateful eyes. She opened her mouth, but he cut her off instantaneously. "Don't bother worrying about Sora. He will do much better without you being involved."  
  
The enmity of his statement was so real, so passionate that it was seemed to be tangible. Guilt coursed through her veins as childhood memories made their way into her mind. Backing away, she ran as fast as she could out of the building and into the courtyard. Collapsing heavily on the ground, she rocked back and forth, tears streaming from her eyes. ~Sora...I'm so sorry....~  
  
:End Flashback:  
  
Small unshed tears filled Kairi's eyes as she blankly stared out of the window. A hand waved in front of her face, awakening her from her stupor. "Hey girl, what's up?" her friend asked.  
  
She shook her head and told them to continue with the conversation, the image of Sora's bruised body never leaving her thoughts.  
  
^*^  
  
Well, that's all for now, folks! Please review!  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	3. Trials and Tribulations 3

Author Notes: Your reviews are really helpful! Keep em' up. I just wanted to let you know where this story is going. It will span over all Sora's years of high school (even when Riku graduates) and I might even make a sequel to display college! Note the might because it really depends on you guys. If you want a sequel when I'm done with this story, then I will by all means make one!  
  
Special Thanks To: RcA, rikuandsoraforever, Heather Christi, myredraincoat, SupaSaiyajin, Little Blossom, and Kairi099, onlyHAUNTED and my Mediaminer reviewer YaisaKitty!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
*..............* Means an action  
  
~..............~ Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
^..............^Means a small voice in head  
  
Trials and Tribulations  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Part One  
  
*BEEP BEEP BEEP*  
  
~Damnit! Who put an alarm clock in here?~  
  
Sora shifted in the large hospital bed, facing the dreaded alarm clock that continued to beep. Grabbing it, he decided to calmly turn it off and place it back on the nightstand beside him. Turning back around, Sora settled himself back under the blankets...until a bright light illuminated the room. "Sora, honey! It's time to get up!"  
  
Sora groaned and faced the feminine voice behind him. "Mom!" he whined, throwing the covers over his head and pouting. "Why do I have to get up at the same time as school? Can't you let your hurt little boy get some rest?"  
  
His mother let out a dry laugh and set down the books she had in her hands on a nearby table. "Because, my hurt little boy, you need to further your education. That's why. By the way, Riku is coming later today."  
  
Sora involuntarily winced when the name Riku escaped her lips. Ever since the incident - which happened to be a week ago - Riku hasn't visited him. Tidus took over the job of bringing Sora his homework. To be truthful, it hurt. A pang of guilt settled deep within him when he found out.   
  
'I'll be the shoulder you cry on, Sora. It's time you stop crying alone.'  
  
Closing his sapphire eyes, Sora tried to shrug off the phrase that haunted him every night in his dreams. ~Should I trust him...?~  
  
"Sora? Sora, what's wrong?"  
  
In response to the calling of his name, Sora looked at his mother, whose worry shown with brilliant clarity in her own sapphire eyes. "Did something happen between you and Riku? He hasn't been here in awhile."  
  
Sora smiled weakly. "No, mom. Nothing happened."  
  
His mother looked at him with skepticism, but decided to leave the subject alone. "Well Sora, sweetie, I have to go to work so be sure to eat some of my casserole when Tidus and Selphie bring it later. Oh, and start studying. You don't want to be behind, do you?"  
  
"No, of course I wouldn't mother. That would be a horrible thing," Sora said mechanically, earning him a playful slap from his mom.   
  
"Alright, I'm off then." She leaned over and placed a small kiss on Sora's forehead. Walking out of the room, Sora's mother turn around one more time. "If you need anything, call me on my cell phone."  
  
Sora nodded and began to get off out the bed. Rushing quickly across the icy cold floor, Sora closed the door of the bathroom behind him and began to peel off the hospital gown. "SORA! WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT BATHING BY YOURSELF?" a raucous voice pierced through the door.  
  
Sora slapped his hand on his forehead, put a towel around his waist and opened the door slightly. "Joyce, I can bathe myself!"  
  
The woman called 'Joyce' wagged her finger at the teenager. "It's my job, hun. Now let me in!!"  
  
Sora struggled to keep the door from opening from the rowdy woman. "Joyce...I said...STOP!"  
  
"I'll bathe him, Joyce. You can go ahead and leave."  
  
Sora immediately stopped struggling as a deep rich voice flittered through the air, resulting in the door bursting open. He quickly reached for the small towel on the verge of falling, then looked up. The object of his dreams was currently standing in the middle of the room, a smile adorning his features. Joyce squealed as Riku walked closer to Sora. "Well, if it isn't my sexy silver-haired god!"  
  
Riku's eyebrow seemed to twitch, but he never let his facade down. "Hello, Joyce. You're looking splendid today."  
  
She squealed once more and attached herself to Riku's arm. "Why thank you! I'll let you bathe him just because you are so damn cute!"  
  
She gave him a seductive wink, but not before pushing up her breasts and straightening out her uniform. Walking out of the room, Joyce closed the door behind her. Riku let out a deep sigh, running his hand through his hair. "You owe me big, Sora."  
  
Sora blushed once more, his eyes fixated on the silver-haired boy before him. "Yea...umm...what are you doing here? Don't you have school?"  
  
Riku looked up with a smirk on his face. "I didn't feel like going. My dad doesn't care so he called me in sick."  
  
Looking downward, Sora let out a small 'oh'. Silence passed between them. Riku took off the leather jacket he had on and set it on the bed. "Well, what are you waiting on? Let's bathe you!"  
  
Like a fiery inferno, Sora's face lit up. "Uhh, b-bathe?"  
  
Riku looked at him in mock disbelief. "You didn't think I was kidding, did you?"  
  
If possible, Sora's face brightened more. "W-well, I-i, uhh.."  
  
"Sure you didn't!" Riku walked passed him into the bathroom and began to run the water. He turned around and looked at Sora's face, which went from crimson to a deathly pale in seconds. Riku laughed and dipped his hand in the running water to test the temperature. "I'm kidding, Sora. We'll save that for another time, eh?"  
  
Sora turned crimson once again and looked away from Riku's teasing stare. Riku laughed once again and turned off the water, then headed out of the bathroom. His face soon turned serious as he turned around and glanced at Sora. "After your bath, I want to talk to you. Ok?"  
  
Sora nodded weakly, then shut the door, leaning up against it. ~Riku's gonna kill me if he keeps joking like that with me...~  
  
* * * * * *  
  
"That dumbass got me suspended from school! He's gotta pay!"  
  
Kado paced back and forth, occasionally sending one of his lackeys a glare. His long black hair swayed behind him; his fist clenched to his side while his teeth gritted. "Could you believe that?!" he spat out angrily. "Some little underclassman knocks ME over and I get pop wasted all over ME, but I get suspended!!"  
  
"Well, uhh, you did beat the kid up pretty bad," one of his lackeys said from the couch. "You broke his ribs..."  
  
"SHUT UP!" Kado yelled in rage. "I DON'T CARE IF HE WAS PARALYZED FOR THE REST OF HIS DAMN LIFE! HE GOT ME SUSPENDED!"  
  
The lackey shut up immediately, cowering from the enraged look of his boss. The others flinched as well, trying hard to stay put and listen to the rest of their bosses' complaining. Kado began letting out slow deep breaths. "Calm down Kado," he whispered to himself. "You are the man, not him..."  
  
The others remained silently as Kado pep-talked himself. A few minutes later, Kado had almost completely calm down and got back to the task at hand. "Let's jump him after school or something!"  
  
"But wouldn't you get in trouble again?" another one of his lackeys spoke up for the first time.   
  
"Not if the school doesn't know...."  
  
His lackeys nodded in silent planning while a triumph smile spread across Kado's face.   
  
* * * * * *  
  
Kairi walked along the beach, lost in her thoughts and the tranquility emitted from the sound of the crashing waves. Those images of Sora completely shook her world apart: her friendships, her thoughts, even her way of life. After countless days of thinking, she finally realized that the haunting images of Sora's bruised and battered body was something she never wanted to see again. In spite of her friends' thoughts about Sora, she watched him everyday since the day he asked her out in middle school. The laughs still echoed throughout her mind, causing the pool of guilt to rise once again. No one deserves what Sora went through. He had been betrayed on more than one occasion; his closest friends stabbed him in the back. Including her.  
  
Kairi sighed, then sat down on the hot sand below her. Tears filled her eyes as she curled up on the scorching sand. The fact that she was apart of the way he is now unnerved her. Sora used to be a cute, energetic ball of energy that wanted to explore the world and experience new things with his best friend. She was the best friend he wanted to explore the world with. They were inseparable; they needed the beach as much as they needed air to breath. Swimming, playing blitzball with their best friend Wakka - he moved away shortly after middle school - even training with wooden swords. They did it all and still managed to have energy to climb the paopu tree to watch burning stars shoot across the night. It seemed like a fairy tale; boy meets girl, boy befriends girl, boy and girl fall in love...  
  
But it ended abruptly when Kairi developed and became popular...  
  
While Sora stayed the same.   
  
From that point on, their friendship went down from there.   
  
Sighing once again, Kairi rested on her back, watching the seagulls soar through the clear skies.   
  
~Sora...why did I cause you so much pain? Will you ever forgive me?~  
  
The mere thought of Sora treating her like she treated him sliced through her heart like a jagged knife. She wanted to hear him laugh whole-heartedly like he used to and she wanted to see his trademark smile...  
  
But most of all, she wanted to see that mischievous twinkle that shown with spectacular clarity in his sapphire eyes.  
  
She will probably never be able to see that again.   
  
Kairi buried her head in between her knees as soon as she sat up. "I'm such a bitch..."  
  
"Kairi? Hey, are you ok?"  
  
Kairi lifted her head, craning her neck back to spot of owner of the masculine voice. A tall boy about her age stood only a few feet from her. His shoulder length light brown hair was tied back into a ponytail and his amber eyes held nothing but worry at the moment. Kairi weakly smiled at the boy who was seating himself beside her. "No, I'm not Taiyou."  
  
Taiyou's eyes widened slightly from the blatant reply, but they soon soften as he watched the girl on his right. "Care to talk about it?"  
  
Kairi looked up and sighed. "I...hurt the one I love the most."  
  
Taiyou shifted his body so that he was facing her, a stunned look upon his face. "Love?"  
  
Looking back at Taiyou, Kairi nodded. ~That's right Sora. I just realized this week how much I love you.~  
  
Taiyou sighed and leaned down to lay on the sand, his arms resting above his head. "That's a pretty big problem."  
  
"It is," Kairi sadly agreed.  
  
Reaching for her hand, Taiyou looked to Kairi. "It's that kid who got beat up, isn't it? Sora's his name?"  
  
Kairi gasped in shock. "How did you...?"  
  
"I saw you crying in the school courtyard. I was going to say something but I decided to leave you alone." He looked to the ocean, sighing softly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spy."  
  
Kairi shook her head. "You don't have to apologize."  
  
Silence passed between them. Kairi was lost in her thoughts while Taiyou was trying to figure out what advice to give her. After a few moments of silence, Taiyou acquired his advice. "Kairi."  
  
Looking to her right, Kairi raised her eyebrows in silent response. "This is the only thing I can tell you: Try your hardest to make up whatever you did to Sora. If you don't, then you may regret it."  
  
Absorbing the advice just giving to her, Kairi felt a smile forming on her face. She hugged Taiyou fiercely, hope dancing in her eyes. "Thank you so much, Taiyou. You're the best."  
  
She ran off towards her house, scheming a plan to renew her ties with Sora. Taiyou stayed on the beach, consumed in his own thoughts about Kairi's situation. ~I shouldn't of told her that...Now she's going to focus only on him.~  
  
* * * * * *   
  
*SPLASH*  
  
"Shoot..."  
  
Sora stuck his hand in the now icy cold water once again to fish out the soap he had dropped. His thoughts were centered on Riku, causing him to be clumsier than usual. 'I want to talk to you. Ok?'  
  
~Why does he make me feel this way?~  
  
Unplugging the drain, Sora watched the water swirl in spiral patterns down the drain. In reality, he was just killing time. Somehow he knew what the talk would be about and avoided specificity with Riku is difficult. The growing desire to tell him of his past was increasing as well as his feelings for him. It was frightening; you work so hard to put a wall up between you and other people and then someone comes along and without really trying their hardest starts to crack your wall. Yes, he did miss being able to confide in someone, but no, he didn't want his trust shattered again. He was naive when he befriended Seifer and the others after Kairi betrayed him. He thought he could mend his broken heart by getting people to replace her and look at what it did to him.   
  
Deceit.  
  
Betrayal.  
  
Besides, what would he think? Would he try to help? Or is he like everyone else? Comes, uses you to their pleasure, then leaves?  
  
Rejection.  
  
Abandon.  
  
Sora sat on the toilet, covering his face with his hands. ~They're all the same. Come to you with helpful words and advice, then leave as soon as you have given them your all.~  
  
Hurt.   
  
Pain.  
  
~I'm not going through that again! I won't!~  
  
Sora quickly dropped his towel and grabbed a fresh hospital gown from the small cabinet across the bathroom. Also snatching a hand towel, Sora towel-dried his hair, then stepped out of the bathroom, his face set in determination.  
  
Riku rose from his spot in the large lounging chair as soon as Sora stepped out of the bathroom. His keen eyes noticed the determined look on Sora's face and raised his eyebrow in questioning. "Sora...?"  
  
Sitting in the hospital bed, Sora covered himself completely with the heavy blankets and looked Riku in the eye. "So what did you want to talk to me about?"  
  
Taken aback, Riku sat back down. "Well..."  
  
~Tidus and Selphie told me what happened to you and Kairi.~  
  
"I just wanted to say sorry if I scared you that day..."  
  
Sora stared at Riku in disbelief. ~I got worked up...for nothing?!~ "That's it?"  
  
Getting up, Riku cast his eyes downward. "Yea...that's it."  
  
He walked to the door. Sora followed his every movement, confusion clouding his sapphire eyes. "Riku...you didn't have to apologize for that..."  
  
Turning around, Riku gave Sora a small smile, then opened the door. "In fact, it was the nicest thing that anyone has ever said to me..."  
  
Riku stopped mid-step, silently listening to what Sora had to say. "It's not everyday that someone comes along and all of a sudden cares for you when they just met you..." A dry laugh. "Of course, that's probably normal, but I haven't encountered it since I have a habit of befriending cruel people."  
  
Turning around fully, Riku instantly spotted the tears that cascaded down Sora's cheeks. Although the younger boy was gazing at the sheets, Riku could see the betrayal shining with clarity in his eyes. ~There's something else I don't know...~  
  
"Why am I telling you this?" Sora asked more to himself than Riku. "There is no reason to open myself to anyone. I mean, why do people do that anyways?"  
  
Riku walked over to the bed and sat down next to Sora, pulling him into a soothing embrace. "To cope with the things they have to deal with alone."  
  
The phrase just uttered from Riku struck Sora like a rod of lightning. Even though he still didn't fully understand - and probably never would - it made sense: People are afraid of dealing with things alone. There are only a select few times where solving problems on your own is necessary, but with everything else....  
  
Sora looked deeply into Riku's caring sea-green eyes, enthralled with the way they twinkle differently with each emotion displayed. Right now, they sparkled brilliantly, showing deep worry and concern. His pale chiseled face and luscious pink lips only added to the growing desire that burned deep within him. Unconsciously, Sora leaned closer to the older boy, capturing his lips with his own. Riku seemed shocked; from the way his muscles tense and his breath seemed to stop, he certainly was. But Sora's mind was hazed over in a tranquility that he hadn't experienced since elementary; and he was addicted to it.  
  
Sora wrapped one arm around Riku's neck and the other around his waist, deepening the emotional kiss although Riku still had yet to respond. He dragged his tongue across the said boy's bottom lip and to his surprise, the lips of his desire parted slightly. Making the decision not to stop, Sora plunged his tongue into Riku's mouth, exploring its damp depths. At that very moment was when Riku then started to respond, battling Sora for dominance. He soon won, for he caused Sora to lie on his back while Riku kissed him passionately. Hands wandered over forming muscles and sensitive areas, causing the boy on the bottom to shiver in delight. A small moan escaped his lips, initiating the faint but noticeable rubbing between the two boys. Riku - his mind halfway clouded in lust - broke away from Sora. He looked guiltily to his side and sat up completely. Sora followed suit, breath still coming in short intervals from the pleasure he just received. "Riku..."  
  
"I should go now," Riku stated, as if something was keeping him distant. "You need your rest."  
  
He got up from the bed and walked over to the door. "Riku...I'm sorry," Sora sighed. "I just..."   
  
He drifted off. To tell the truth, he didn't know what just took place here. The moment between them talking and kissing was pretty blurry right now...   
  
"You don't have to apologize, Sora." Riku whispered.  
  
With that, Riku left the room. Sora watched the door in silence, hoping he would come back. But somehow, he knew Riku wasn't going to come back probably until tomorrow. It hurt; that obvious revelation. He wanted to see Riku every hour, every minute, hell even every second of the day. Sora curled up as much as he could into a ball without hurting himself, tears stinging in his eyes. Yes, he had just done what he promised himself he wouldn't do. Fall in love.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
The week went by relatively fast. Riku took his job back as "The Homework Retriever" which was a huge relief on Sora's part. They acted as if nothing happened, chatting with each other about anything and everything except either of their pasts and the kiss. Both boys acted as if nothing happened so well that it almost seemed like nothing actually happened. But the dreams at night were always there to remind Sora and leave him with a huge problem in the morning. Nonetheless, Sora kept his inner anguish inside and put on the same carefree and happy mask he used whenever he was dealing with something emotionally painful. It seemed to work; at least on Tidus, Selphie and his parents. But for some reason, Sora felt that Riku knew about that mask. Little did Riku know that Sora knew about his mask also; the calm, cool, collect face he had on almost everyday. He was struggling to remain nonchalant about the accident almost as much as Sora was.  
  
Even if the two boys didn't want to act as if nothing happened and talk about it, Fate seemed to keep the boys from ever being alone. Tidus, Selphie, Joyce, Sora's mother or Sora's father were always in the room when Riku came, leaving the boys no choice but to act. Even Kairi decided to show up - which raddled Sora's thoughts even more - this week, on more than one occasion. She brought flowers, cinnamon-sugar coated pretzels (Sora's absolute favorite food), even movies for her and Sora to watch. Sora tried to figure out why, but again they were never alone.   
  
Right now, Sora was back in school and not a single lesson behind thanks to Riku and Tidus. His teachers were being extra nice to him. Even Mr. Shin, the cold-hearted homeroom teacher, was being nice. As much as Sora liked the extra attention and kindness from his teachers, he seemed to get as much extra attention from the students. Except it was negative. Most of the students gave him dirty looks or talked behind his back in hushed whispers. It didn't really bother him at first, but as the amount of looks and whispers grew, his patience for them was beginning to diminish.   
  
Sora walked down the crowded hallway, ignoring the comments about the 'dumbass who ran into the principal's son.' He was meeting Riku by his locker as he did everyday since he came back so that they could walk home together, maybe even get a bite to eat. Shifting his backpack to ease off some of the weight, Sora scanned the hallway in search of his silver-haired friend. Instead he spotted Tidus and Selphie, who were idly talking to two figures. One was a girl with long blue hair pulled into a ponytail and emerald eyes wearing a pink turtleneck and a yellow skirt. The other figure was a boy with beige hair that framed his face and emerald eyes, sporting a green turtleneck and blue jean. Sora approached them. "Hey guys."  
  
Everyone turned to face the cinnamon-haired boy, smiles on their faces. "Hey!!" Selphie greet him enthusiastically. "How are you feeling? Better I hope. We missed you!"  
  
"Selphie, you saw me almost everyday."  
  
"Yea...but still!"  
  
Sora laughed softly, then looked to the two strangers. "I'm Sora."  
  
The boy's face instantly lit up with a welcoming smile. "Name's Zidane."  
  
The girl put one hand on her hip, looking up and down Sora as if she was examining him. "Eiko."  
  
Tidus cut into their introductions. "Sorry to break this up, but we gotta go." He looked as watch. "We don't want to be late."  
  
"Yea, see ya later Sora!" Selphie waved as she walked away with the others.  
  
Sora stood there a couple of moments. ~Where are they going?~  
  
"Hey."  
  
Sora turned around to see Riku packed up and ready to go. "Let's go."  
  
Nodding, Sora followed the retreating Riku to the end of the hall.  
  
*-*-*-*-  
  
"Look! There he is!"  
  
"Shut up, moron, do you want them to hear us?"  
  
"Kado..."  
  
"Duh, I was just pointing them out..."  
  
"And that's ok, but did you have to be so damn loud?!"  
  
"Kado...?  
  
"What?!"  
  
"They just walked passed us."  
  
"IDIOT! Why didn't you say so?"  
  
Kado and his tow lackeys jumped from their hiding space, running up to the unsuspecting Sora and Riku. "Hey, kid!"  
  
Sora turned around to meet a punch in the face, causing him to fly backwards and stumbled into Riku. Kado's lackeys gathered around the two boys, spitting at them and mocking them. Kado lunged to attack Sora, only to have it blocked by Riku. After deflected Kado's attack from Sora, Riku stepped swiftly to the side, for Kado had ran towards him in an attempt to tackle him. Kado fell to the ground, but quickly recovered and lunged to attack. Riku simply dodged and kicked Kado in the back as if he were child's play. Kado turned around, newfound hatred burning in his eyes.   
  
Sora tried as hard as he could to dodge Kado's lackeys. One of them was easy, only because of how stupid he is. The other was actually a challenge, having brains and brawn, which was definetly not a good combination for a bully. The tall lanky lackey lunged forward, fist outstetched. Sora jumped out of the way, rolling into a crouch. He soon spotted that Kado had directed his attention towards him again and jumped before the upperclassman dashed forward to tackle him. Wiping the thin sheet of perspiration off of his forehead, Sora crouched into his own fighting stance, eyes attentively darted across the area for any surprise attacks. Riku was soon beside him, stepping in front of him to protect him. While one small part of Sora was flattered, most of Sora boiled with anger. ~Does he think I'm some kind of child? I can take care of myself!~  
  
With new anger fueling him on, Sora ran forward, increasing his speed for his attack. ~I'm sick of everyone's pity!~  
  
Before Sora struck, Kado realized that he couldn't dodge, so he created a barrier with his arms.   
  
~Sure, I've been hurt, but that doesn't mean I became some weak little child!~  
  
Sora jumped up and roundhouse kicked the older boy, surprising everyone there including Riku. Kado only reduced some of the pain, but the force caused him to fall back to the ground.   
  
~I don't need pity, I don't need extra care, and I sure as hell don't need a bodyguard!~  
  
Sora grabbed Kado by the collar, lifting him up off the ground. He stared into Kado's onyx eyes with pure hatred and annoyance.   
  
~I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!~  
  
Sora punched Kado in the jaw repeatedly until he fell back, hitting the ground in unconsciousness. He flew back into the mud face down. Sora walked over to Kado and kicked him repeatedly in the stomach. "Sora! Stop!"  
  
Sora stopped mid-kick and turned around to Riku, who was surrounded by the unconscious bodies of Kado's lackeys. Shock with a blend of concern filled his keen sea-green eyes as he watched Sora walk away. "Wait, Sora!"  
  
"You should leave, Riku. I can make it to my house without any of your help."  
  
The coldness of Sora's voice caused Riku to instantly freeze. Never before had he heard Sora sound so emotionless . It was frightening to say the least. "What--"  
  
"I know why you hang around me, Riku, and frankly I am disgusted. I'm not some damn charity case, ok? I can take care of myself."  
  
Sora grabbed his fallen backpack and proceeded on home, leaving a bewildered Riku behind.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Finished! Constructive criticism welcome. Please review.  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	4. Trials and Tribulations 4

Author Notes: I'm drowning in reviews from both websites! I love it! It's fueling the fire, people. Anyway, you guys are the best and I hope you continue to read cuz it gets more complex! I just love complex stories...Which reminds me. Two Halves of A Whole needs my attention. Ja.  
  
Special Thanks To: SupaSaiyajin, Kairi099, Heather Christi, RcA, onlyHAUNTED, myredraincoat, Elle King, KaoruFan, Xiao, Reaper02Angel, and all my Mediaminer reviewers (can't forget about them!): yamichaos, Seya, Rinni, YaisaKitty, Pyrokitsune, and AOTS!!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
*..............* Means an action  
  
~..............~ Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
Trials and Tribulations  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Sora jogged the rest of the way home, his anger still at boiling point. The skin around his knuckles split so it caused small rivulets of blood to flow down his right fist. But he could care less about that right now. What - or really who - is pissing him off at the moment is Riku. Why didn't he notice before? Riku was always saving his ass from something, like he couldn't have done it himself. Even if Sora was younger, that didn't mean anything. He's been alone for quite sometime so he learned a few tricks. ~Stepping in front of me like I'm a weak girl. That ticks me off!~ He winced in pain as the breeze went over the open wound. Attempting to cover the wound with his other hand, Sora hurried to his house. He was about to reach his destination when...  
  
"Sora! Hey!"  
  
Not bothering to suppress a groan, Sora looked over in the direction of the approaching girl. "Hi, Kairi."  
  
She didn't seem to notice the groan. Pulling her long auburn hair in ponytail, Kairi smiled brightly at the boy before her. "Going home?"  
  
"Yea," Sora replied, his face expressionless. "Look, I have to go so---"  
  
"Sora, what happened?!"  
  
Sora followed Kairi's worried gaze until it ended up resting on his fist. He shrugged. "It's nothing, really..."  
  
"You're coming to my house to tend that." Without hearing the protests of Sora, Kairi grabbed Sora's good hand and dragged him down the block to her house. Sora looked at her with a mixture of shock and annoyance: One, when did she start caring about what happens to a non-popular kid? Two, she didn't listen a word he said. And three, she hasn't been acting like a mother hen since elementary school. Why start now?  
  
"Hold on, right quick."  
  
He looked up to see Kairi fidgeting in her backpack to find her key. Just to be nice, Sora grabbed the handle of her backpack and held it up for her. She stared at him momentarily, a blush creeping up her face. Rapidly, she looked back down and got her key, then swiveled around to unlock the door. Sora watched her, surprise etched in his features. ~Was...she...blushing?!~  
  
"MOM! I'M HOME AND SORA'S WITH ME, OK?"  
  
Loud footsteps could be heard coming from down the stairs. A middle-aged woman with auburn hair that had streaks of gray in it came down the stairs. Loose strands fell into her face as she approached the two teenagers. "Sora? My, have you grown. So handsome."  
  
She pulled Sora into a hug, which he gladly returned. Some people changed over the years; others don't. "Thank you. You are very beautiful yourself."  
  
A warm smile adorned her lips as she looked at him slyly. "Your voice is so deep! Well, despite the physical changes, you certainly still suck up to adults."  
  
Sora's expression changed to mock hurt. "Ouch, that hurt."  
  
Kairi's mother let out a hearty laugh as she began walking to the kitchen. "I'll get you guys a snack, ok?"  
  
Sora nodded, then turned to Kairi, who was looking at him. She turned away quickly, the blush that spread across her face deepening. "Let's get you tended."  
  
She grabbed his good hand once again and led him up the stairs into their main bathroom. Opening the medicine cabinet, She took out some alcohol and bandages as well as gathering some tissue. She bunched the tissue together and pressed it against the opening of the alcohol bottle, then tilted the bottle to get a small amount. Dabbing Sora's wounds, Kairi quickly cleaned and bandaged them.   
  
It was now Sora's turn to be amazed. The Kairi he knew couldn't take care of anything medical. In fact, she only made wounds worse. A great example was when Sora cut his knee and when she tried rushing him to her house, she tripped him and ended up getting sand in his wound. The cut was infected for a week. "Kairi, where did you learn to do this?"  
  
"Over time, I guess." Kairi shrugged.   
  
"Oh." A moment of silence passed between them. Sora shifted uncomfortable on the toilet seat he happened to be sitting on while Kairi looked around, trying to avoid eye contact with Sora. ~Ok, I can do this, I can---~  
  
"Sora, will you go to the Four Keys concert with me?" Kairi blurted out.  
  
She covered her mouth with her hands, looking away while blushing. Sora looked at her, stunned by the sudden outburst, but more so by her question. ~She's asking me out?!~  
  
"I mean," Kairi stuttered. "My friend Garnet and I were planning on going but she's bringing her date, Riku, so I wanted someone----"  
  
"Riku?!"  
  
Kairi stopped instantly, puzzlement etched in her features. "Yea, Riku. I think I meet him when I visited you in the hospital."  
  
Fists clenched unconsciously at the thought of Riku going on a date with someone else. ~Why is he going out with someone else? And how come he never told me?~ A pause. ~...Why do I care so much? It's just a date.~  
  
"So, Sora, do you want to come?" Kairi asked with a hint of pleading in her voice.  
  
Sora smiled at her. "Sure, I'll go."   
  
~I'll teach him.~  
  
* * * * * *  
  
'You should leave, Riku. I can make it to my house without any of your help.'  
  
~I know you can, Sora. I just like being with you. That's why I want to walk with you.~  
  
'I know why you hang around me, Riku, and frankly I am disgusted.'  
  
~The reason I hang out with you is very simple. I want to keep you to myself.~  
  
'I'm not some damn charity case, ok? I can take care of myself.'  
  
~Of course you can. That doesn't mean you can't have someone to help.~  
  
Lying on his back, Riku stared aimlessly at the ceiling while trying to figure out the situation at hand. The cinnamon brown haired boy had been holding his thoughts captive for quite some time. His 180 degree mood swing really shocked Riku. One moment, they were joking about the Algebra 2 teacher, the next minute Sora shows some unbelievable skill at fighting and then all of a sudden, Sora is glaring at him coldheartedly.   
  
Replaying the scene over and over, Riku tried to find the problem: walking and talking, Kado and his lackeys surprise attacking them, Kado and him fighting while Sora and the lackeys are fighting, Kado stopping to face Sora...  
  
~That's it!~  
  
Riku jumped out of bed, straightening out his wrinkled clothes and matted hair. ~I'm such an idiot! I damaged his pride!~  
  
'I'm not some damn charity case, ok? I can take care of myself.'  
  
Riku let out a string of obscenities while running out of his house and down the block. He had stepped in front of Sora like a parent does his child when something dangerous is there. That is what caused Sora to be so angry.   
  
Quickly spotting Sora's house, Riku ran to the porch and rung the doorbell twice. The door opened to reveal Sora's father. A 6'3 man with graying chocolate brown hair and striking cerulean eyes, Sora's father was a well mannered, uptight man with strict morals and beliefs. He smiled often but rarely smiled genuinely. Riku had come to admire Sora's father for the simple fact that he was a nature born leader. "Hi."  
  
"Oh, hi Riku. Sora is in his bedroom. Come in. You can go ahead and go upstairs."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
Slipping his way past Sora's father, Riku went up the stairs and headed to Sora's room, which was at the end of the hall. He knocked twice before proceeding into the room with caution.  
  
Sora looked over from his spot on the bed, a cold glare now replacing a simple look of curiosity. "What do you want?"  
  
A feeling of anger washed over Riku. ~Does he have to be so damn rude?~ "I came to apologize."  
  
The cold glare softened. "I know that I hurt your pride, but---"  
  
"Pride?!" Sora spat out angrily as he sat up. "What do you mean, PRIDE?!"  
  
Riku stared at him in disbelief. ~Now what?~  
  
"That isn't why I got angry! Maybe you would get angry over that...."  
  
"Me?" Riku said, now as livid as Sora. "What do you mean, me? I would be grateful if someone did that for me. You didn't look like you could fight so I---"  
  
"You assumed and made me look like some lost little child. THAT'S what you did."  
  
"Look, Sora, I'm not going to argue with you over this because it's stupid."  
  
"Really? Then, if this is so stupid, then you can leave." Sora made his point by stretching his finger to the door, a flustered/determined look on his face. Riku's eyes widened at the comment. Nevertheless, Riku left slowly. "Oh yea, see you at the Four Keys concert." Sora added bitterly with a hint of jealously.  
  
Riku froze mid-step, turning around to look at Sora, but only met a closed door. He cursed to himself once again. ~How did Sora know about that? Jeez, I was just going as an excuse to clear my head...~  
  
:Flashback:  
  
Riku walked down the empty street alone, Sora's phrases echoing in his mind. He was in deep confusion at the things said, and the pang in his heart was fierce, almost agonizingly so.  
  
"...Riku?"  
  
Riku awoke from his stupor to meet large coal black eyes. A girl about his age with long flowing black hair past her waist stood in front of him, a blush covering her face. She wore a simple orange body suit with a white shirt underneath and short brown boots. Her hands were covered with red gloves. "Hi, Riku."  
  
"Oh, hi Dagger."  
  
She blushed at her nickname, the one she had gotten in the sixth grade from him. She had gotten angry and ended up getting in a fight. From then on, Riku always said she was short, but cut nice and clean like a dagger. Hence the nickname. "Umm, I was wondering if you would go to the Four Keys concert with me?"  
  
Riku thought about it for a second. Nothing bad could come out of this and it would probably take his mind off of Sora. "Sure, why not?"  
  
Dagger's smile widened and she hugged Riku. "Thanks, Riku."  
  
Riku waved it off and continued walking home. "No prob."  
  
:End Flashback:  
  
Running his hand through his silver hair, Riku stood in place, going over the events that just took place. He turned back to Sora's door and opened it to reveal Sora laying on his bed, getting ready to put on some headphones.  
  
"Sora---"  
  
"Riku, there is really nothing else to discuss here."  
  
Leaving it at that, Sora put on the headphones and clasped his hands together behind the back of his head. Riku looked at him momentarily before shutting the door, highly pissed at the boy behind the door. Stomping down the hall, Riku descended the stairs quickly and left the house. He shoved newly formed fists in his jean pockets, struggling to regulate his breathing as well as his thoughts. ~I just went to apologize and he treats me like shit! What kind of friend is he?~  
  
A few moments later, Riku's house was within sight, causing the boy to quicken his pace. He reached the porch and lifted the mat to retrieve the spare key that was hidden there since his key was left in his room. Opening the door, Riku greeted his father, then bounded up the stairs, hiding away in the confines of his room. He collapsed on the bed, trying futilely to keep his mind off of Sora. Despite his anger, Riku had to smile at one thing:  
  
~He was jealous.~  
  
(Sora got home about 10 minutes before Riku arrived.)  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Kairi jumped on her bed, her thoughts centered on a certain cinnamon brown-haired boy. She grabbed the phone that was to her left and dialed the number she became so familiar with. "Hi, Mrs. Alexandros, can I speak to Garnet?"  
  
"Sure, Kairi dear, hold on."  
  
Kairi waited patiently, twisting the cord with her index finger.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Garnet, you won't believe it!"  
  
"What happened? You got backstage passes?!"  
  
"No, silly, I asked Sora and he said ok!"  
  
"That's great. I guess we're going on a double date, huh?"  
  
Kairi beamed as she heard 'double date' "Yea, I guess so! I can't wait until this week is done!!"  
  
"Week? Girl, we got less than that. We have approximately 5 days, 16 hours, and 8 minutes left!"  
  
Kairi giggled at the obssessive behavior of her friend with this concert and the Four Keys. "Geez, Garnet!"  
  
A soft laugh was heard from her friend. "I'm sorry. I just can't wait!"  
  
Kairi fell back on her soft pillows, looking up at her ceiling with a bright smile on her face. "I can't wait either, Garnet. Hopefully, this concert will bring me and Sora closer."  
  
"Oh, you're still on Operation: GSB, huh?"  
  
"Definitely!" Kairi almost yelled, sitting up straight in her bed. She lied back down. "I can't give up."  
  
"Well, what you're doing at the concert should bring him around. I know you told me he was thick-headed, but this is really spells it out."  
  
"I hope so," Kairi sighed. "If it doesn't then I'm going to have to go to plan B."  
  
"Plan B? Geez, you are really serious about this aren't you?"  
  
"Yea, I am. I love him, Garnet. I never realized that until now and he needs to know."  
  
"Are you sure it's love though?" Kairi sensed the skepticism in her friend's voice. "I mean you are only sixteen."  
  
"I am absolutely positive."  
  
A pause. "You know yourself better than anyone else, so if that's what you think it is, then you are probably right. Therefore, do what you can."  
  
"Thanks. Oh, that reminds me. I have to call Taiyou. Talk to you later."  
  
"Ok, ja."  
  
"Ja."  
  
Kairi hung up, then quickly dialed Taiyou's number. "Hello, Mr. Quen, is Taiyou home?"  
  
"Yes, Kairi, hold on one moment."  
  
Once again, she waited for Taiyou to answer the phone."  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Taiyou, hi."  
  
"Hi, Kairi."  
  
"I just wanted to thank you again for the advice. I asked Sora to go to the Four Keys concert with me and he said yes so hopefully the event at the concert will convince him."  
  
"Great, Kairi," Taiyou answered with deflated enthusiasm. "If that doesn't convince him, I don't know what will."  
  
"Yea....my heart is pounding and the concert is a school week away."  
  
"I'm sure he'll come around, Kairi."  
  
"Taiyou, you always know how to cheer me up."  
  
"Well, how long has it been? Since 6th grade?"  
  
"Yea," Kairi replied with a hint of sadness. ~The grade I dumped Sora in.~  
  
"I have to go eat dinner so I'll see ya later."  
  
"Ok, bye Taiyou."  
  
"Bye, Kairi."  
  
Kairi hung up and collapsed on her bed. Her mind was reeling with new thoughts and possibilities since the concert was coming up. Hopefully, Sora and Kairi would be able to have a good time and mend their broken friendship there. It was a slim chance; Kairi did betray him and embarrass him in front of most of his grade in middle school. But Kairi was willing to give up everything to be forgiven and possibly develop more than a friendship in the process. Closing her eyes, she drifted into a peaceful slumber.  
  
(GSB=Get Sora Back)  
  
* * * * * *   
  
The school soon got wind of the fight between Sora and Kado. At first, the underclassman was going to get suspended, but when the entire story was told from Sora, Riku, Kado and the two lackeys, it was determined that all of them get a detention instead. Fighting usually was punished by suspension or expulsion - as Kado already found out - but since the fight was off of school grounds and it was not as serious as the last one, all the boys were let off the hook with a four hour detention after school.   
  
Principal's Office  
  
"Now, I don't want to see you guys in another argument again!" barked the principal. "This is the second time and school has barely begun!"  
  
All of the boys bowed their heads in shame. "Yes, principal."  
  
"I don't want to hear pathetic words! Give me action!"  
  
His pause initiated the rise of the boys, who quickly shuffled to the door. "Kado, stay."  
  
Kado stopped mid-step, knowing the trouble that is to befall him. Sitting in chair nearest the door, Kado gulped, looking at his father meekly. His father was not amused. "What were you thinking?" he hissed in a harsh whisper.  
  
Kado looked away from his father's piercing stare, anger boiling within him. "He got me suspended."  
  
"You ATTACKED him, Kado. That is why you got suspended."  
  
"But he bumped into me..."  
  
"QUIT YOUR NONSENSE RIGHT NOW!" the principal bellowed. Kado instantly fell silent. "My patience is wearing thin with you, Kado. If you continue to misbehave, I will be forced to kick you out of this school."  
  
"But fat--"  
  
"You will leave me no choice!"  
  
Kado looked to the ground angrily. "I'm...sorry father to have displeased you."  
  
The principal looked at his son, shocked by the coldness of his voice. "You may go." he said quietly, still trying to shake off the iciness.  
  
Kado stood up tall and took long prideful strides out the door. Fixing his loosened ponytail, his onyx eyes were fixated ahead of him. ~He's got me suspended, he's broken my arm, and he's got me yelled at from my father. This bitch will pay.~  
  
Sora's Locker  
  
Letting out a deep sigh, Sora opened his locker and began switching his books for his after lunch classes. His mind was completely blank, and his energy was depleted. Most of the night, the boy had stayed up contemplating what he said to Riku. Truthfully, he didn't know what exactly got him so angry yesterday. He knew that Riku treated him like a child when they were in the fight and of course he didn't like being treated like a child, but what was with yesterday. He just...exploded without giving any real thought to it. ~Maybe I should apologize...~  
  
"Hey, Sora!"  
  
Sora looked up to see Kairi, Garnet and Riku approaching him. His eyes narrowed as he saw Riku's arm casually wrapped around Garnet's shoulder, losing all thoughts of apologizing. Trying to shrug off the jealously, Sora stood up and gave them his trademark grin. "What's up, guys?"  
  
"I just wanted to give you your ticket." Kairi said, revealing a small ticket in her hand. She gave it to him, smiling brightly.   
  
"We're meeting behind Destiny Palace at 7:00," Garnet said. "And Kairi's dad got us backstage passes."  
  
"Great," Sora said with fake enthusiasm. Kairi and Garnet didn't notice, but Riku did. His eyebrows raised in response. "Can't wait."  
  
Kairi and Garnet said their goodbyes before heading off to lunch while Riku stayed behind. Sora turned around and continued pack his books in his backpack. Finishing, Sora swung the bag on his shoulder and started to walk away. "You know there is nothing to fight about, Sora, so let's just stop."  
  
Sora froze, then turned around to see Riku patiently waiting with his arms crossed. "I apologized, Sora, so what's the problem?"  
  
Casting his eyes downward, Sora felt a blush rising up. ~I feel so stupid. I got mad for absolutely no reason.~  
  
Riku sighed, uncrossed his arms, then walked over to Sora. Grabbing his chin gently, he tilted it up so that Sora's eyes were staring directly into his. "I'm sorry, Sora." he whispered.  
  
Sora's blush only deepened as he stared into sea-green eyes, the urge to kiss him building up deep within him. "You don't have to apologize, Riku," he mumbled. "I was..."  
  
"PMSing?" Riku finished.  
  
Sora tore his chin from Riku - because of mock anger and because of his need to kiss him - then gave him a glare. "Shut up, Riku."  
  
Riku only laughed, which caused Sora to start laughing along with him. The two began to walk down the hall. "Hey! Umm, wait...Damn, what is your name? Oh yea, Sora!"  
  
Sora turned around along with Riku. Taiyou ran up to the two boys, slowing his pace when his eyes fell on Riku. "Dear god..."  
  
Following Taiyou's gaze, Sora's eyes rested on Riku, whose eyes seemed to have darkened along with his mouth slightly open, letting a small gasp escape his lips. The color literally drained from his face; his breath hitched. Sora looked at the two boys in confusion. "What is going on?"  
  
Riku didn't seem to hear him for he continued to stare at the boy in front of him. "Taiyou...?"  
  
"Riku." the amber-eyed boy whispered.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
HaHaHaHaHa! Since I am feeling devilish, I have decided that I will leave you guys with this cliffhanger until I get at least 10 reviews! That's right. 10! Since I'm on my evil streak, I've give you a preview of next chapter:  
  
"What does he mean to you, Riku? Damnit, tell me the truth!"  
  
"He's nothing!"  
  
A pause. "I don't believe that."  
  
Better get reviewing....  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	5. Trials and Tribulations 5

Author Notes: O_O Look at all the reviews I got in such a short amount of time! Jeez, you guys are great. Since I got so many reviews at once, I decided to reward you guys for your efforts by making an extra long chapter. So, without further ado, the fifth - extra long - installment of Trials and Tribulations.  
  
Special Thanks To: Kairi099, Elle King, Heather Christi, myredraincoat, Kurai Kaiba, rikuluver, Uzumaki-sama, Aisalynn, Sillie, ice cream sandwich, RC2, angel voice samurai, Rock-Howard-17, Kylie Norris, silvermoonstar-tenshi, onlyHAUNTED, Princess of Mirrors, That Person, and of course my Mediaminer reviewers: Pyrokitsune, Karna, and yamichaos!!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
*..............* Means an action  
  
~..............~ Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
[..............] Means a microphone is being used  
  
^............^Means song  
  
Trials and Tribulations  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Part One  
  
The two boys stayed where they were until Sora broke the tense silence that passed among them. Deciding to talk to Riku later about this, Sora said: "What did you want me for, Taiyou?"  
  
The light brown haired boy seemed to snap out of his dazed stupor and peered at Sora with saddened amber eyes. "Well, Kairi wanted to know what was taking you so long so she sent me to come and get you."  
  
"Oh, well let's go." Sora walked over to Taiyou, then turned around. "Riku, are you coming?"  
  
Riku shifted his gaze off of Taiyou and onto Sora momentarily. "I think I'll pass."  
  
Sora crossed his arms. "Oh, come on! You were suppose to help me with Japanese Lit., remember?"  
  
"I will, but I have to go."  
  
"Alright, I guess," Sora said sadly, not bothering to hide the disappointment in his voice. Trying to cheer Riku up, he put on a bright smile. "See ya later, alligator!"  
  
Riku blinked, wondering where that statement came from. "In a while, crocodile." he replied, deciding to play along.  
  
Smiles formed on both of the boys' faces. Riku turned around and steadily began to walk away.   
  
"Bye, Riku."  
  
The said boy paused, turning around enough to see the two other boys out the corner of his eye. Anger flickered in his eyes - which didn't go unnoticed by Sora - before he walked away, quickening his pace with each step. Taiyou let out a deep breath that he seemed to be holding for quite some time and headed in the direction of the cafeteria. He shuffled as he walked as if he had some huge burden placed on his shoulders. Sora watched the two older boys go their separate ways, and he teemed with suspicion. What was the relationship between Taiyou and Riku? Was it similar to his and Kairi's case where they were best friends, but grew apart? Or was it something more?  
  
These questions bombarded his mind while he headed after Taiyou. It didn't take long for the Sora to reach him since the boy seemed to walk like he was apart of a funeral line. The urge to scream, "What the hell did you do to Riku?" coursed through his body, but of course, he pushed it down in the deep recesses of his mind. "So, you're a friend of Kairi's?" he asked instead.  
  
"Yea," he answered short and quick while straightening up his hair.  
  
Sora frowned at the reply, but didn't let Taiyou see it. Frankly, he couldn't care less if he was so he decided to get straight to the point. "How do you know Riku?"  
  
Taiyou stopped in the middle of pulling his hair into a neater ponytail, overwhelming sadness washing over him. He opened his mouth to say something, but decided against. A few moments passed between them before he answered. "From freshman year."  
  
Absorbing in this new piece of knowledge, Sora readied himself to ask another question, but the pair of boys had already reached the cafeteria and were approaching the bustling table. Kairi was in the center of table, talking to Garnet who sat beside her. A girl with unnaturally long cyan hair pulled into a braided ponytail and royal blue eyes sat across from Garnet and Kairi. Beside her, a girl with shoulder length purple hair and crimson eyes listened in on the conversation. Finally, detached from the group of girls, a medium-height boy with short sandy brown hair and indigo eyes had his head propped up on his forearm, a bored expression on his face. Sora looked to Taiyou, who smiled when he spotted the boy. Walking over to him, Taiyou sat down and looked into the eyes of his friend. "I'm sorry I left you here with the girls."  
  
The boy looked up in annoyance. "I'm sorry? These stupid girls have been talking about the Four Keys Concert this whole time!! I'm damaged for life." He let out a dramatic sigh and buried his head in his arms. Taiyou only laughed and patted him on the back before scooting over to Kairi. "Sora's behind you."  
  
Kairi turned around, a bright smile on her face. "Hey, Sora, come over and sit here."   
  
She patted the now empty space that seemed to magically appear. Sora hesitantly sat down and looked over everyone. "Hi."  
  
"Well, hello," the cyan-eyed girl said, leaning forward. "My name is Nami."  
  
Sora smiled briefly. "Sora."  
  
"Yea, I've heard so much about you," she replied, looking over at Kairi. "He's pretty hot, Kairi, why didn't you tell me?"  
  
Kairi looked away and tried to hide her blush. This didn't go unnoticed by Sora. Nami only laughed and pointed to the girl next to her. "This girl is Sakura."   
  
Sakura only smiled meekly while mumbling her greeting. Nami laughed at her friend's timidity. "You always get this way when a boy other than those two are here."  
  
Her friend blushed heavily and cast her eyes downward. Kairi gave a disapproving look to Nami. "Stop teasing her."  
  
"Yea, I mean you got pretty tongue-tied when Riku was talking to you." Garnet added.  
  
A wave of jealously washed over Sora, but he didn't show it. Nami blushed crimson. "T-that w-was...oh shut up!"  
  
The group of girls laughed. Kairi turned to Sora, sensing he was a little left out. "So, Sora, are you ready for the concert?"  
  
Sora mentally groaned. ~No, not the concert....~  
  
"Oh no you don't!"  
  
Everyone turned to the boy at the end of the table. "I have suffered, and I admit I deserved it, but don't do it to him. Sora, come here."  
  
Sora got up almost too enthusiastically. He rushed over the sandy-haired boy, who held his hand out. "I'm Jiro."  
  
When he grabbed the hand, Sora leaned in close. "Thank you."  
  
Courtyard  
  
Riku entered a circular dome with held a cascading waterfall in the center of a large, clear lake. A canopy of tree branches hid the area well, but sunshine still peeked in, reflecting off of the lake. Rare, but beautiful sun-kissed flowers grew near the edge of the water and not a single animal roamed in this mini paradise. A figure stood at its shore, only wearing loose black pants that hung off of his waist sinfully. The figure turned slightly, his amber eyes twinkling mischievously. His light brown hair swayed in sync with a mysterious wind as Riku walked up to the lone figure. He opened his mouth to say something only to have his mouth closed by a finger was placed upon his lips. The taller boy stared deep into his eyes before turning around and diving into the water. When he emerged, he motioned Riku to follow. Riku took off his shirt and dived in. The two began to swim under the waterfall and swam down a long tunnel. Both of them soon made it to the end. The boy came up to the surface first with Riku right behind him. Riku couldn't help but be amazed at the sight. The two had entered another lake with a wider waterfall on their left side. This area was completely underground. The boy climbed up on a ledge near the entrance and helped Riku up, pulling him into an embrace and kissing him softly on the lips. "Taiyou..."  
  
"Hey, Riku?"  
  
The scenery abruptly vanished as Riku bolted up, surprising the person who called him. Running his hand through his hair, Riku sighed and buried his face in his hands. ~No, no, no...~  
  
"Riku?"  
  
Cloud bent down and looked at the boy next to him. He then looked up, motioning Leon to bend down also. Leon reluctantly agreed, staying as stoic as always. "Riku, what happened?"  
  
Riku leaned back against the tree. "Taiyou happened."  
  
Cloud winced as the name escaped his lips. "When...?"  
  
"Today before lunch. He was looking for Sora..."  
  
"So, how long has it been?" Cloud asked cautiously.  
  
"Two years," Riku replied angrily. "It has been two fucking years!"  
  
Cloud sat next to Riku, watching his distressed friend. "Now he goes to this school! Cloud, what am I going to do?"  
  
"Just confront him."  
  
Cloud and Riku turned to the silent teenager who decided to speak. "Running away is going to get you nowhere and you know it."  
  
He sighed. "This isn't something that I can solve by talking to him."  
  
Riku instantly closed his mouth. He knew that this was something he would have to do himself. Now that Taiyou is here, he is forced to deal with a problem that he pushed aside two years ago. He thought that maybe forgetting could heal, but all it's done is bury itself deep inside his heart. He should have known that this would reemerge, and he still has to sort his feelings for Sora. Clasping his hair, Riku growled in frustration. ~Damnit!~  
  
"Then, do what you have to do. Thinking about it won't make it go away."  
  
Riku looked into the cold stormy eyes of his stoic friend. Even though he doesn't show it, his eyes reflected the concern he felt for the Riku. He was appreciative that he had good friends like Leon and Cloud. "Thanks."  
  
The school bell indicating that lunch was over sounded, causing everyone to pack up and prepare for their next classes. Getting up and brushing himself off, Riku waved to Cloud and Leon before headed to the cafeteria. They only watched him go.  
  
^*^  
  
The four days went by slowly, and the students at Kado High School were ready to burst at the seams. Even the teachers seemed to be mocking them, giving them extra homework and projects despite the big concert. Nevertheless, Friday arrived and the school occupants were anxious to leave.   
  
Over the course of the four days, Sora, Taiyou, and Jiro had become a trio. Even though Sora still had troubles with the trust issue, he still managed to get along great with the other two boys. His fear of rejection and betrayal had been temporarily forgotten; he still wasn't happy though. Riku had withdrawn himself from Sora even more - going to the library instead of coming at lunch and walking straight home instead of waiting for him -, causing Sora's suspicion to sky-rocket. Something had happened between Taiyou and Riku. He was going to find out today at the concert.   
  
"So, Taiyou, Jiro, are you guys going to the concert?" Sora asked while closing his locker.   
  
Taiyou as well as Jiro nodded. "We're taking Nami and Sakura." Jiro responded. "You're going with Kairi, right?"  
  
"Yea."  
  
"Garnet going with that kid named Riku, right? What's the deal with him anyway?"  
  
This question got him glares from both Sora and Taiyou. Jiro put his hands up in defense. "Just asking, jeez."  
  
The three boys walked to their next class, which they happened to have together, in silence. The innocent question had left two of the three boys in deep thought. Sora: ~I wonder what's going on. Riku...~  
  
Taiyou: ~How can I face him now? He probably hates me...damn.~  
  
A few moments passed and the boys arrived at their destination: 6th hour, English, Mrs. White.  
  
The two-minute warning bell just went off when the boys took their seats in the back of the room. Sora was seated behind Taiyou while Jiro was next to Sora. Riku was already seated behind Sora. He turned around and greeted Riku with a bright smile only to be returned with a watered down smirk. "Ok, class, let's get started."  
  
The redheaded, green-eyed woman who stood in front of the class opened her teacher's edition of the textbook. "Please turn to page 34 in your books."  
  
The students worked mechanically; taking out their books, and flipping to the page as instructed. Sora let out a yawn and he leaned his head against his hand to prop himself up. Soon, he lost track of what the class was doing, his thoughts focused only on Riku. Since the day Taiyou and him met, Sora has been noticing the small, mediocre things about Riku that still seem magnificent. He cursed himself for thinking so dumb thoughts. The truth of the matter is he could never have Riku. Even if Riku was willing to be with him, how would they deal with the trust factor? Sora would probably be to paranoid to let him go to college. The last thing he wanted to do was hinder Riku from his hopes and dreams for the future. "...ra?"  
  
Sora looked up at the annoyed teacher's face lazily. He rubbed his eyes, realizing he dazed off in the middle of class. "Sorry, Mrs. White."  
  
"Just read this passage in English." his teacher snapped before she headed back to her desk. Sora sighed, found the right page, and proceeded to read the passage, unaware of the gaze from Riku.  
  
^*^  
  
*BING BING BING*  
  
The end of the day school bell was music to the students' ears. Most had been anticipating the concert of a lifetime: The Four Keys Concert. It's not everyday that celebrities come to the small chain of islands. In fact, the last celebrity who visited Destiny Islands came almost 20 years ago. It was going to be a great night: listening to your favorite singers then go partying afterward. This was great for the parents too since the kids would be out and they could have the house to themselves. All was to go well tonight...  
  
"I can't wait!!"  
  
Garnet, Kairi, Nami, and Sakura walked to the school's entrance. Each had there own thoughts about the concert tonight, but Nami's was more vocal. "I'm so excited! I bought this new outfit and everything. I managed to get an outfit that matched my hair and my eyes perfectly!"  
  
While Nami, Sakura and Garnet talked about outfits, Kairi was deep in thought about the special events that are suppose to happen tonight. She was going to do the ultimate thing for love: sing in front of thousands of people to Sora and beg for his forgiveness. Surprisingly, her mother had supported the idea as well as her father. Each of them had gone to great lengths so that she would be able to do that. Thank goodness her father knew the Four Keys. Kairi wiped a thin sheet of perspiration off of her forehead, her heart pounding and her breath coming in short quick intervals. She never had a problem with singing in front of people before and that's not really what she is worried about. It's Sora; what if he doesn't like it? What if he rejects her? What if he thinks this is just a joke like the one in middle school?   
  
So many thoughts hit her a once that she felt dizzy and had to stop. The others stopped as well, looking at her questioningly. "Kairi?" Garnet asked, concerned.  
  
"I'm fine." Kairi said while flashing a weak smile. "Come on, let's go."  
  
The group of girls continued to walk on outside and soon, they met up with Sora, Jiro, Taiyou, and Riku. They waved them over. "We're meeting at Destiny Palace at 7:00pm, right?" Taiyou inquired.   
  
Kairi nodded. "Don't meet in the front. Go to the back where the large double steel doors are."  
  
"So, Sakura, I'm picking you up at what time?" Jiro asked.  
  
"It takes 45 minutes to get there so come at 6:00pm." she replied.  
  
"You gonna drive her there yourself?" Taiyou asked in mock-exasperation. "We don't want her to die now you know."  
  
Jiro glared at Taiyou and walked over to Sakura. Taking her hand, he proceeded walking her home. "See ya later."  
  
Nami and Garnet said there goodbyes and parted their ways since they were helping each other get ready for the concert tonight, leaving Kairi, Sora, Riku, and Taiyou. The group of friends walked home together in an uncomfortable silence. Sora played with his crown necklace while Taiyou took his hair out of a ponytail and let it fall. Kairi just looked around, avoiding eye contact with Sora, and Riku stared blankly ahead, sorting out his thoughts and feelings.   
  
In a matter of ten minutes, the quad reached Kairi's house. Kairi said her goodbyes to Taiyou and Riku, then walked up to Sora. "My dad insisted on driving us so I'll pick you up at 6:00?"  
  
Sora nodded. Kairi then smiled and placed a small kiss on his cheek. "See ya later then."  
  
She ran over to the porch and quickly let herself in the house. Sora unconsciously touched his cheek, staring at the now closed door. This was what he wanted, right?  
  
"Hey, Sora, let's go!"  
  
Sora turned around and faced Taiyou and Riku, then nodded slowly. He noticed Riku glaring at Kairi's house, somewhat amused and somewhat confused. Shrugging it off, Sora continued down the street with the two older boys. He saw his house soon appear, causing him to fill with jealously. ~I don't want them alone!~  
  
Instead of caving into his thoughts of staying until Taiyou went home, he turned to his two friends and flashed them a watered down smile. "See ya guys at the concert."   
  
They both said their goodbyes and watched Sora enter his house. The two walked along as soon as Sora's door shut and in a matter of minutes, they reached Riku's house. He made a right into the walkway. "Koneko..."   
  
"Don't call me that." Riku spat out angrily, slightly turning around.  
  
"Riku, please listen to me."  
  
"There is really nothing to talk about, Taiyou."  
  
Riku felt himself be grabbed and pulled against a well-built chest. He struggled half-heartedly; half of him wanting to pull away and the other half wanting to get more comfortable. "Let me go, Taiyou."  
  
"Not until we talk. It's been two years, koneko..."  
  
"I know how fucking long it's been and don't call me that!"  
  
Taiyou sighed and began to stroke some locks of Riku's hair tenderly. Riku's eyes widened, for he didn't know that Taiyou actually remembered the way to calm him down. He felt his body release its previous tension at the simple gesture. ~Damnit...~  
  
Leaning down to the said boy's ear, Taiyou whispered: "I've missed you, koneko. Not one day went by when you weren't on my mind, despite my father's wishes."  
  
Riku let out a dry laugh. "So, now you decide to go against your father's wishes?"  
  
"My real father died, Riku. I have a step dad now."  
  
Riku instantly fell silent. Even though he had burning, passionate hatred for the man, Taiyou's father was not that old to just die. "What happened?"  
  
"Heart attack. The doctors said it was stress and his damn cigars." Taiyou laughed bitterly. "He never went a day without his cigars."  
  
Riku smiled weakly at the statement. It was true; Taiyou's father wasn't seen without a cigar in his mouth. It clearly defined him. He frowned. "Throwing this sob story at me isn't going to win me back, Taiyou. You had your chance and you deserted it."  
  
Even with his rising anger, Riku made no move to part from the embrace of Taiyou. It was almost as if they were back as freshman, cuddling each other in each waking moment. But the past is the past, and it is to be forgotten. "I know that the decision I made was wrong, Riku. I wasn't as brave as you were. While you were willing to risk it all, I cowered under pressure." Taiyou's embrace tightened. "I was scared of the opinion of my father and his wealthy associates and in the process of keeping their high opinion of me, I completely disregarded yours."  
  
Riku listened silently, absorbing the heartfelt speech from Taiyou. "I was a fool. A fool mechanically programmed to act as my father did. Even if it cost me my own happiness."  
  
Taiyou turned Riku around so that they were staring each other straight in the eye. "I love you, Riku. I have never stopped loving you since the day I lay my eyes on you. I want the entire world to know."  
  
He faced the empty street. "I LOVE RIKU," he screamed at the top of his lungs, "WITH ALL MY HEART! WE'RE BOTH GUYS! DOES THAT MATTER? NO!!"  
  
He turned back around to see silent tears streaming down Riku's face. Immediately, he ran over and kissed his tears away, then caressed his cheek gently. "My koneko, my sweet koneko..."  
  
At that moment, Taiyou pressed his lips against Riku's, kissing him with as much passion as he could muster. To his extreme delight, Riku started to respond.  
  
(Koneko - Kitten)  
  
^*^  
  
Part of this is a songfic so bear with me. Enjoy...  
  
^*^  
  
Trials and Tribulations  
  
Chapter Five  
  
Part Two  
  
Sora paced frantically, his stomach tied in several knots. His nervousness was literally devouring him whole, only leaving his shaking bones. It had only been a few minutes after the doorbell had rung, causing him to be a bundle of nerves. "Sora!" his mother called. "Kairi is waiting. Hurry up!"  
  
The cinnamon brown-haired boy checked himself for the last time in the mirror, straightening out the tiniest of wrinkles. He was clad in black and khaki; baggy khaki pants with a simple short-sleeved shirt and matching black shoes. The same crown pendent gleamed dimly off of his chest. "Ok," he whispered to himself, "here goes."  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Sora opened his bedroom door and headed down the stairs. Kairi stood waiting for him, a weak smile adorning her face. Sora's breath caught in his throat momentarily as he looked Kairi over. She sported gray, black, and red; her long sleeved shirt - the bottom of the sleeves black, middle of the sleeves gray outlined with two thin strips of red, and top of the sleeves red along with the rest of the top - cut off above her belly button, proudly flashing her small, but noticeable belly button ring. The number 53 was patched on her shirt, colored black and outlined with gray. To finish off the outfit, she had on tight gray flared pants and white gym shoes. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and two locks of it were set in the front for bangs. "Hey, Sora."  
  
"Hey." he managed to choke out. "Sorry for keeping you waiting."   
  
"No problem." She said shrugging. "We do have to go though. It's 6:10."  
  
"Alright, bye mom." Sora said while headed out the door. His mother waved and shut the door behind them.   
  
*  
  
The car ride was pretty uneventful. Kairi's dad tried to catch up with Sora, and he asked questions about Kairi and his relationship. It was pretty annoying, considering the fact that he had to lie to Kairi's father because he didn't want Kairi to get in trouble. He really didn't want to go to the concert feeling guilty. "We're here." Kairi's father announced.  
  
Kairi seemed to leap out of the car, shutting the door behind her quickly. When Sora got out of the Mercedes and her father drove off to park, Kairi let out a deep sigh. "I'm so sorry about that, Sora."  
  
Shrugging it off, Sora looked around and soon spotted Tidus and Selphie. He grinned broadly and made his way through the large crowds of people to get over there. "Hey guys!"  
  
The couple looked Sora's way, Tidus flashing him a smile and Selphie waving excitedly to him. Tidus was wearing a black velvet sleeveless jacket zipped halfway down his chest with the letter "T" in yellow on his left side. Baggy black velvet pants outlined with yellow - pockets on each pant leg - yellow shoes, and a black visor outlined in yellow completed his outfit. Selphie had her hair straightened out completely; its total length reaching the middle of her shoulder blades. She had on a simple yellow sweater and yellow pants with a black belt and black gym shoes. "You guys look great!" Sora exclaimed.  
  
Selphie spun slowly, showing off her new outfit. "Dontcha like it? I like it too."  
  
Tidus laughed. "She dragged me into the mall yesterday to get these matching outfits."  
  
"So that we don't lose each other." she stated matter-of-factly.  
  
Sora chuckled, missing his old friends' ways. "I didn't know you guys were coming to the concert."  
  
"Yea, we thought about inviting you to join me, Selphie, Zidane, and Eiko, but I thought you wouldn't like this group. By the way, who are you with?"  
  
"Kairi, Riku, and some of Kairi's friends."  
  
Selphie and Tidus looked at Sora in disbelief. Selphie was the first to recover. "You're...here with her?"  
  
"Yea. That reminds me," Sora said looking behind him. He spotted a now large group of people surrounding Kairi. "I better go. See ya guys later."  
  
Not waiting for them to respond, Sora made his way back through the crowd. He immediately spotted Riku, who was talking Taiyou. Sora almost stopped and stared. A huge smile was on Riku's face, his hands moving wildly to emphasize what he was saying. He looked...back to normal. But how? What happened that made him go back? "Sora!"  
  
Sora blinked and looked at the approaching Riku. His strides were long and prideful, the same way they were when they first met. His felt his jaw drop as he eyed Riku. Clad in gray and a shade of silver that matched his hair perfectly, Riku had on slightly baggy silver pants with matching tight short-sleeved muscle shirt, a sleeveless gray shirt underneath. Gray and silver shoes and a silver chain around his neck completed the outfit. "Like what you see?" he teased, a smirk on his face.  
  
Sora glared at him to play off his staring. Walking by him, Sora turned around. "I'm glad you're in better spirits, Riku."  
  
Riku didn't respond and went back over to the boys. Sora wondered why, but shrugged it off and walked to Kairi. She was talking to Garnet, who enthusiastically showed off her new outfit, courtesy of Nami. It was completely black; her top was off the shoulder that cut off slanted, showing her stomach. Her pants were tight, flared, and black, covering her knee-high boots. Her long black hair was pulled into a clip with one large lock of hair set in front for bangs.   
  
"So, Sora, how do I look?"  
  
Sora turned to Nami, who was to Garnet's left, sporting a tight cyan one-piece body suit that covered her matching short boots and was outlined in silver. It was zipped down partially, and the suit was sleeveless. A thin silver belt was around her waist, matching her silver hoop earrings and the outline. Her long hair was let down and curled at the ends. Sora gave her two thumbs up. "Hot."  
  
Nami smirked with triumph. "Good. Now if I can get other guys to feel the same way..."  
  
Sora couldn't help but laugh at that statement. "I sure you won't have any problems, Nami."  
  
"Yea, you look great." Sakura piped up. She had on a long-sleeved amethyst button up shirt with a short black skirt. Amethyst knee-high boots covered most of her longs legs. Her hair was left down.   
  
"So do you."  
  
The girls continued their conversation about outfits while Sora walked over to Taiyou, Riku, and Jiro. Wearing, a cream sleeveless turtleneck with light brown slacks and cream shoes, Taiyou had his hair down neatly, going for the simple look. Jiro had on a navy blue sweater and matching sweatpants and shoes, going for an even simpler look. "We should be heading in." Jiro said while walking toward the chatty group of girls. The rest of the boys nodded and followed him. Sora soon caught up to Jiro and started his own conversation while Riku stayed with Taiyou. The two boys seemed to be the best of friends - from the corner of Sora's eye - and talked endlessly about life in general. Sora almost growled at the sight.   
  
"Guys! Back here."  
  
Upon hearing Kairi's voice, the four boys turned to the left, back to a small alley-like pathway. Two large double steel doors were at the end. The group of teenagers moved along the path and headed into the entrance, Kairi leading the way. They had just entered a crowded room. It was cluttered with costumes as well as the tools needed for dress fitting. Several people moved back and forth from room to room, their faces etched with annoyance, anger, or extreme delight. The group took the time to look around, but didn't stray because of the adults who eyed them warily. Kairi led them through quickly and before they knew it they were in the actual concert hall. All the winding paths and staircases they took landed them near front row center. Thousands and thousands of people were there. Most of their faces had a look of pure bliss while a few had annoyed looks on their faces because of seats. Screams for the Four Keys were loud, and signs for the Four Keys to marry them were held high. Sora looked around, amazed at the capacity of the concert hall. For such a small chain of islands, this was a very large concert hall.   
  
The group of teenagers got to their places, joyfully looking at the stage in front of them. The band was doing the finishing touch up on setting up, and the microphone stands were placed front and center, each adjusted to the height of each member. Nami turned to Kairi. "Kairi, these seats are amazing! Your dad must know them well!"  
  
"Yea, he does. I guess this is the only advantage to having connections."  
  
"What's the disadvantage?" Sora asked, confused.  
  
"The more people are connected to your parents, the more you are watched and monitored." Kairi explained.  
  
"She's right." Taiyou added in. "They expect you to be like your wealthy parents and in turn, critique your every move."  
  
Kairi smiled at that. "I guess it isn't so bad, though since you get to meet a lot of kids like you."  
  
"Yea, that's the way we meet," Taiyou said, laughing softly. "At a business meeting that we both had to be dragged to."  
  
Sora crossed his arms, not amused at the conversation. 'You get to meet a lot of kids like you.' ~That doesn't mean you desert the ones you have.~  
  
[Ladies and Gentleman, the concert you all have been waiting for!]  
  
The crowd went wild as the announcer walked across the stage. [They're known around the world and have taken the time to visited Destiny Islands...Welcome the Four Keys!"  
  
Screams echoed throughout the dome as the stars jumped out onto the stage, blowing kisses to their fan girls below. The four boys began immediately into their first song.  
  
^Mou dore kurai aruite kita no ka  
  
Machikado ni natsu wo kazaru himawari  
  
Mendou na koi wo nagedashita kako  
  
Omoidasu tabi ni setsunasa tsunoru  
  
Isogashii mainichi ni oborete  
  
Sunao ni narenu naka de  
  
Wasureteta taisetsu no nanika ni  
  
Yasashii hi ga tomoru  
  
Yagate kuru  
  
Sorezore no kousaten wo  
  
Mayori no naka tachi tomaru kedo  
  
Sore demo hito wa mata aruki dasu  
  
Meguri au koigokoro donna toki mo  
  
Jibun rashiku ikite yuku no ni  
  
Anata ga  
  
Soba ni ite kuretara  
  
Ah yume kara sameta  
  
Kore kara mo  
  
Anata wo ai shiteru^  
  
(How far have I walked?   
  
The sunflowers that in summer decorate the street corners   
  
I invite sadness when I remember the past   
  
In which I threw away troublesome loves   
  
I'm drowned in the hurry of everyday life, and I can't be meek   
  
A tender fire is lit in an important something that I forgot   
  
Soon we each come to our crossroads   
  
We lose our way and stop   
  
But even so we keep walking   
  
A chance meeting with the awakening of love   
  
I always try to live like myself   
  
If you are by my side   
  
Ah, I awake from a dream   
  
From now on I'll love you)  
  
The crowd began to sway to the smooth voices of the band before them. Sora watched his friends. The girls were completely engrossed into the song while Jiro complained about 'stupid boy bands'. It was Taiyou and Riku that interested him the most. Both of them seemed to be paiyng close attention to the song, their hands intertwining unconsciously. A large pang stuck Sora's heart at the sight, forcing him to look away and listen to the song once more.   
  
The Four Keys had begun to walk off the stage, visiting different aisles as they finished the song.  
  
^Tanjun na kokoro no yaritori wo  
  
Naku shita toki no naka de  
  
San do me no kisetsu wa  
  
Utakata no koi wo ai da to yonda  
  
Itsu no hi mo  
  
Sarigenai kurashi no naka  
  
Hagukunda ai no kodachi  
  
Hohoemi mo namida mo uketomete  
  
Toozakaru natsukashiki tomo no koe wo  
  
Mune ni daite omoi wo yoseta  
  
Ikutsuka no deai  
  
Ikutsuka no wakare  
  
Kurikaesu hibi wa tsuzuite yuku  
  
Yagate kuru  
  
Sorezore no kousaten wo  
  
Mayori no naka tachi tomaru kedo  
  
Sore demo hito wa mata aruki dasu  
  
Meguri au koigokoro donna toki mo  
  
Jibun rashiku ikite yuku no ni  
  
Anata ga  
  
Soba ni ite kuretara  
  
Ah yume kara sameta  
  
Kore kara mo  
  
Anata wo ai shiteru  
  
Ah yume kara sameta ima ijou  
  
Anata wo aishiteru^  
  
(The exchange of a simple heart   
  
In those times I've lost, the third season   
  
Called an ephemeral romance love   
  
Someday in my casual life   
  
There is a grove of trees of the love we raised   
  
That will accept both laughter and tears   
  
I hold in my heart   
  
That nostalgic voice of a friend that has gone far away   
  
And collect the memories   
  
A few meetings, a few partings   
  
Those repeating days will continue   
  
Soon we each come to our crossroads   
  
We lose our way and stop   
  
But even so we keep walking   
  
A chance meeting with the awakening of love   
  
I always try to live like myself   
  
If you are by my side   
  
Ah, I awake from a dream   
  
From now on I'll love you   
  
Ah I awake from a dream   
  
Now more than ever I'll love you)  
  
The audience gave a standing ovation for the group that returned to the stage. They flashed brilliant smiles as they walked to the edge of the stage and shook some of their fans' hand. [We have a special presentation for you all!]  
  
Sora turned to his right to see if Kairi knew about the presentation, only to see her empty seat. ~Wha..?~  
  
"Where is Kairi?" he asked Nami. She only smiled and shrugged her shoulders.   
  
[A friend of ours asked for a favor and we couldn't have been happier to comply. So without further ado, Kairi Tatewaki!]  
  
It was as if that very moment had froze when Sora looked at the stage. Kairi walked up and hugged each one of the Four Keys, then headed to the front. [I just wanted to sing a song for someone who I hurt very much in the past in hopes of forgiveness.] She looked directly at Sora. [I know this doesn't justify what I did, but I will do anything to make it up to you.]  
  
Sora stared into her eyes, struggling with an inner battle of believing this was happening. All of his friends had their eyes on him, amazed at the lengths Kairi had gone for his forgiveness. [Sora...I dedicate this song to you.]  
  
^Some day out of the blue  
  
In a crowded street or a deserted square  
  
I'll turn and I'll see you  
  
As if our love were new  
  
Some day we can start again, some day soon^  
  
She kept her eyes on him as if he were the only one in the room. He couldn't help but stare back, not noticing the angry gaze from his silver-haired friend.  
  
^Here comes the night  
  
Here come the memories  
  
Lost in your arms  
  
Down in the foreign fields  
  
Not so long ago  
  
Seems like eternity  
  
Those sweet afternoons  
  
Still capture me^  
  
Cordless microphone in hand, Kairi descended the stairs with the Four Keys behind her - they were singing as back up voices - and headed towards Sora. Her eyes never left his as she walked forward.  
  
^Some day out of the blue  
  
In a crowded street or a deserted square  
  
I'll turn and I'll see you  
  
As if our love were new  
  
Some day we can start again, some day soon^  
  
She reached her destination. Stretching out her hand, she sung with passion straight from the heart, willing to lose it all.  
  
^I still believe  
  
I still put faith in us  
  
We had it all and watched it slip away  
  
Where are we now  
  
Not where we want to be  
  
Those hot afternoons  
  
Still follow me^  
  
Riku watched Kairi like a predator ready to kill. His vision began to fill with crimson red; his muscles tense and ready for a fight. She had him captured in her cunning web, and was ready to wrap him up tight, showing the world that he was hers. It pissed him off.  
  
^Some day out of the blue  
  
Maybe years from now  
  
Or tomorrow night  
  
I'll turn and I'll see you  
  
As if we always knew  
  
Some day we would live again, some day soon^  
  
^I still believe  
  
I still put faith in us   
  
I still believe  
  
I still put faith in us^  
  
Taiyou felt his hand being squeezed and looked at Riku. His sea-green eyes were lit with undeniable rage, and his body was literally trembling because of it. He frowned, knowing the exact reason that caused this. He looked back at Sora, who was captivated with the singing Kairi before him.   
  
^Here comes the night  
  
Here come the memories  
  
Lost in your arms  
  
Down in the foreign fields  
  
Not so long ago  
  
Seems like eternity  
  
Those sweet afternoons  
  
Still capture me^  
  
With a powerful burst of confidence, Kairi poured her heart and soul into the conclusion of the song.  
  
^Some day out of the blue  
  
Maybe years from now  
  
Or tomorrow night  
  
I'll turn and I'll see you  
  
As if we always knew  
  
Some day we would live again, some day soon  
  
Some day out of the blue  
  
In a crowded street or a deserted square  
  
I'll turn and I'll see you  
  
As if our love were new  
  
Some day we can start again, some day soon^  
  
Toning it down to a whisper, Kairi leaned forward as if they were sharing their own little secret.  
  
^I still believe, I still put faith in us   
  
I still believe, I still put faith in us   
  
I still believe, I still put faith in us   
  
I still believe, I still put faith in us   
  
I still believe, I still put faith in us   
  
I still believe, I still put faith in us^  
  
The audience was in shock as she finished the song. As soon as she sung the last word, the entire crowd stood, clapping wildly at the brave teenage girl. Whistles and catcalls from her new fans rung through the air, causing Kairi to smile brightly and looked around, her face expressing pure bliss. She turned to the Four Keys and gave them a hug once more. Handing them her cordless microphone, she turned to Sora, who was petrified in place. She walked up to him and embraced him. The television screens high above displayed the two. "I'm so sorry, Sora. Will you please forgive me?"  
  
The crowd held their breaths in anticipation as Sora looked down at Kairi. He nodded once, causing the audience to erupt into a joyous applause. Kairi sighed and threw her arms around Sora, hugging him tight. Sora hugged her with as much intensity as she did, burying his face into her shoulder. She grabbed his chin and looked deep into his eyes before giving him a fierce kiss. He responded all the same, and Sora was unaware of their surroundings, drowning in his fulfilled desires. ~This is the way it is suppose to be.~  
  
^*^  
  
Ok, before you grab your guns and your long ass knifes and come after me shouting, "You tricked us and said this was a Riku/Sora fic," well, it is. I mean come on people. Look at the title. If you didn't expect bumps in the road, then you shouldn't have read this. This arrangement is only temporary, but there are many more problems for our star couple ahead.  
  
That was one helluva chapter! This is my longest chapter ever so be happy. You guys caught me off guard with the reviews. I passed ten on the second day it was up! Oh yea, Elle King. I didn't take what you said to offense at all. In fact, you're right. It does seem a little conceited. So I'm not going to do that anymore. *stretches out hand and hits it* Bad! Bad!   
  
This doesn't mean that there aren't any more cliffhangers, though.... ^_^  
  
The songs were: Glay - Beloved and Elton John - Someday Out of the Blue. Sorry about the Elton John song, but I thought the lyrics were appropriate for this situation.  
  
Alrighty peoples, you got your chapter - and a long one at that - so review! Constructive criticism is welcome.  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	6. Trials and Tribulations 6

Author Notes: Sorry for the late update. I've been working, studying for finals, and playing Final Fantasy X-2 when I found the time. Yup, I've been pretty busy, but today was the day I sat down and worked on this chapter. You should be proud of me! ^_^;  
  
*whips out a tissue* I really am flattered. Your reviews are really helpful, especially when people pinpoint specific things that they liked or didn't like. You guys don't know how much it helps. ^_^ I'm happy some people are actually liking Taiyou. I like him; he's one of my favorite characters. Yea, I have plans for him...  
  
Clarification for CLOud: Taiyou "liked" Kairi because he felt that was the way it was suppose to be. But his reunion with Riku snapped him out of that assumption. And of course our star couple will get together. Eventually.  
  
Special Thanks To: Princess of Mirrors, Rock-Howard-17, Kairi099, Heather Christi, Sillie, sorelova, silvermoonstar-tenshi, Crystalline Tears, Uzumaki-sama, Skilancer, john stevens, blue penguin, CLOud, RC2, myredraincoat, onlyHAUNTED, Sora Otaku, Kyari, LiL vAmP1, Ino Pig, KaoruFan and my Mediaminer reviewers: rissa, yamichaos, daichi kaido, Kyria the fallen angel, and RedFalcOn!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
*..............* Means an action  
  
~..............~ Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
//............//Means person on the other line of a phone conversation  
  
Trials and Tribulations   
  
Chapter Six  
  
Riku watched the couple, complete and utter betrayal filling his entire soul. His heart beat spastically; his hands clenched and unclenched several times. But what was most noticeable were the misty tears that stung in his eyes like tiny daggers, forcing him to blink several times. His breath became short and fast as if he were having a panic attack. Taiyou left Riku to congratulate Sora and Kairi, but Riku didn't notice. His now lifeless sea-green eyes were fixated on the couple before him, who just finished kissing and were now surrounded by happy friends. The concert continued on even though most of the audience was still hung up on the stunning performance of a high school girl, and many of the fans of the Four Keys were now interested in the famous couple. But this was only a blur to Riku, whose vision was only filled with the picture of Sora and Kairi. Kissing. Hugging. Looking like a real couple. It sickened him, and he was mad. He was sad, of course, but right now, he was pissed. Kairi betrayed their friendship while entering middle school and had broken his heart in front of his entire class and some upperclassman. Now that she sings a song, Sora comes crawling back? "Disgusting..." he whispered, turning around and walking towards the exit.  
  
Sora's eyes widened with pure rage, his sapphire orbs ignited with an inferno of anger. He heard the words whispered from Riku's mouth, and he was shocked to say the least. The fact that he showed up with Taiyou, acted like a real couple, then said that was unbelievable. "I'll be right back," he whispered in Kairi's ear. She looked up and smiled as he walked out hastily towards the exit where Riku left.  
  
Outside  
  
Riku sat on the bench, running his hand through his refined silver hair. A deep sigh escaped his lips while he reflected over tonight's events.  
  
"You are such an ass, Riku."  
  
Riku snapped his head up to see an enraged Sora stalking towards him. An excusing finger was thrust his way. "How dare you..!"  
  
Standing up, Riku felt his own anger toss and turn within him as he stared at the cinnamon brown-haired boy before him. "How dare I what?" he asked in a eerily calm manner.  
  
"How dare you be angry over something like this? You came here with Taiyou!" Sora spat out. "Don't think I didn't see you guys during the concert because I sure as hell did!"  
  
Riku let out a dry laugh, sitting down on the bench once more. "Are you jealous? Because you 'sure as hell' seem like it."  
  
Stepping in front of Riku, Sora stared down at Riku with so much rage that he was trembling. "Jealous? Ha, don't make me laugh, Riku. I have Kairi."  
  
That did the trick, for Riku shot up out of his seat and walked towards Sora with animal-like grace, an almost crazed look in his eyes. "You have Kairi, huh? Well you had her before and what did she do? She deserted you for her own selfish desires!"  
  
Sora stepped back as if he received a blow, the anger replaced with complete shock. "H-How did you...?"  
  
"Tidus and Selphie told me about what she did to you, and the fact that you are crawling back to her on your damn hands and knees really angers me. I thought you were better than that."  
  
Sora straightened out completely, an amused smile on his face. Suddenly, he began to laugh. Riku watched the boy in curiosity and puzzlement as the younger boy began to clutch his stomach. "You're the one to talk," he said through his laughter. "What about you and Taiyou? He is your ex, right?"  
  
Riku froze.  
  
"Taiyou can be really loud. His corny confession of love echoed throughout the street."  
  
Sora's laughter dissipated as soon as it came and was slowly replaced with the same enraged look as before. "You are nothing but a hypocritical, egotistical ass who is a manipulative as everyone else I've had the 'pleasure' of meeting."  
  
Eyes narrowing, Riku let out a snarl and grabbed the boy by the collar, pulling him as close as possible while looking into his eyes. Sora never once flinched, staring with as much ferocity as Riku. "You aren't a bad ass, Riku," Sora whispered, never breaking his gaze from Riku. "That calm, cool exterior can never hide the small, vulnerable little boy I see. No matter what you do; no matter what you say. You have a weak will, and you are alone."  
  
His sea green eyes grew icier as he held the boy in place. Sora was right; he was weak, and he was alone. Ever since he can remember, he's been taking care of himself. His dad is always gone and when he is home, the most they ever say to each other is hello. His mother....  
  
Well, we'll leave that subject alone.   
  
Closing the distance, Riku kissed Sora vigorously. His tongue forced his way into the younger boy's mouth, savoring the delicious taste. Sora struggled as much as he could to get away, but Riku's strong arms were wrapped around him tightly, trapping him. As much as Sora wanted to keep struggling, he felt his body relax and become unwilling to struggle. His mind filled with that familiar haze that urges him to just take what comes.   
  
His mind was completely gone a few short moments later and he began to respond, but as soon as he responded, Riku pulled away, a smirk adorning his face. Sora's eyes were closed; his breathing irregular and lips swollen. Registering the loss of soft warm lips, Sora slowly opened his eyes. Riku turned away, but not before adding his last thought, "Now who's weak?"  
  
Sora watched Riku head to a sleek black convertible and hop inside. Annoyance and anger clouded Sora's mind as he watched the convertible slowly back out of the parking lot. Growling, Sora sprinted to the car. ~He will not get the best of me!~  
  
Jumping over stray trash and dodging various statues and signs, Sora reached the black convertible and jumped in the passenger's seat, stunning Riku and himself. He lifted himself slightly and got the seatbelt from under him, then strapped down. Sora looked to Riku, who was looking at him with a strange and indescribable glint in his eyes. Turning his eyes back on the road, Riku let out a deep sigh. "You never cease to amaze me, Sora."  
  
Sora almost smiled at the compliment, but put a determined look on his face instead. "I am not weak." he stated, getting straight to the point. "You tricked me!"  
  
Riku looked over once again, amused. "I didn't trick you into anything. You responded on your own."  
  
Crossing his arms, a pout reached Sora's lips. "It wasn't my fault I responded. It's probably just lust."  
  
Riku's eyebrows rose. "Lust, huh?"  
  
Before Sora could respond, they had reached Riku's house; a large colonial with blue shutters on each window. A narrow pathway lined with fresh green grass lead to the front porch, and Riku strode on the pathway, a hesitate Sora following him. He quickly unlocked the door and entered, briefly waving to a tall man with identical silver hair - who Sora assumed to be his father - sitting at the kitchen table. The man's calm and authoritative stature was almost identical, making Sora smile. Riku's father eyed Sora, his pale blue eyes filled with interest and curiosity. "Riku...? New friend?"  
  
"Yea," Riku responded nonchalantly. "Sora, this is my dad. Dad, this is Sora."  
  
Sora bowed slightly. "Nice to meet you."  
  
Riku's father looked to Riku, then looked at Sora, letting out a laugh. "You don't have to be so formal, Sora. Name's Yuki by the way."  
  
Momentarily stunned, Sora smiled brightly and relaxed. "Then it's nice to meet ya, Yuki."  
  
Getting up, Yuki laughed loudly and walked fully into the kitchen. "I'll get you guys something to eat."  
  
Sora nodded and turned to head up the stairs, but stopped when he felt Riku's eyes on him. Turning to Riku, Sora did his own version of Riku's famous smirk and headed up the stairs. Riku followed close behind him, his gaze still on the younger boy in front of him. ~How did he do that? My dad hasn't laugh like that since...~  
  
"Wow, nice room, Riku."  
  
The large room was grayish-blue in color with matching carpet. A king-sized bed rested against the far wall below a large window, and at the right of the room was a 32" TV with DVD, VCR, and stereo. A video game console was also hooked up. To the left of the room was his walk-in closet and bathroom. Riku walked in and sat on the bed. "Thanks."  
  
Sora crossed his arms once again and leaned against the wall. "Why did you trick me? You are so confusing, you know that?"  
  
Leaning against the bedpost, Riku threw Sora a sidelong glance. "How am I confusing? You're scared of me, then you befriend me. You close yourself to me, then you kiss me."  
  
Blushing, Sora walked over to the bed and sat next to Riku. "But Riku..."  
  
"Let me finish. So, where did we leave off? Oh yea. After you kiss me, we're back to being best friends and then, you show this amazing fighting skill and get pissed at me. And the next thing I know, you forgive me, you're with Kairi, you're pissed at me again, then you want me. Not to mention, that right now you're all buddy-buddy with me again."  
  
"T-That's ridiculous. Do you realize why all those things happen in the first place? It was because of you!"  
  
"It was my fault?"  
  
"You cause so many emotions and I can't help it."  
  
Riku rose up in interest, but remained silent. Sora continued. "At one moment, I want to strangle you and the next moment I want to...."  
  
Smirking, Riku leaned closer to Sora. "Want to what?" he whispered.  
  
Sora looked Riku in the eye. "I want to..."  
  
"Riku, Sora!"  
  
Sora cursed and looked to the door as well as Riku. "I didn't want to cook you guys some complex so I brought you some fruit."  
  
Yuki brought the tray of strawberries, bananas, and whip cream inside and set it down on the nightstand near the bed. "Sorry to bother you guys."   
  
He left the room silently, leaving the two boys back to the matters at hand. Riku picked up a banana and peeled it slowly. Sora eyed him out of the corner of his eye, picking up a strawberry and biting the tip. Riku looked to Sora and smiled innocently, nibbling the tip of the banana. ~Oh shit....this is definitely one of those moments where I want to jump Riku...~  
  
Sora stood up abruptly and walked over to Riku's TV, trying to avoid the lustful stare of Riku. "L-let's play a game, Riku. Y-ya know that's what best friends do, right?"  
  
Taking in a deep breath, Sora turned around and looked at Riku to see him nipping the side of the banana. "D-dear Kami..." he whispered.  
  
Riku looked up with a innocent smirk on his face. "What's the matter, Sora?"  
  
"Never mind," Sora said, avoiding eye contact. "Promise me that we won't do anything...and you know what I'm talking about. I have a girlfriend and you have a boyfriend. We're both taken."  
  
"Mmhmm."  
  
Sora turned around - a big mistake - and saw that Riku now put the entire banana in his mouth and took one large bite. Turning back around as quickly as possible, Sora slapped a hand to his forehead, feeling the fabric of his lower region get tighter. ~I need a cold shower, NOW!~  
  
"Riku, it's really been fun, but I have to go."   
  
Sora stood up and practically ran to the door.   
  
"Sora, you're spending the night."  
  
"What?"  
  
Turning around, Sora stared at the older boy sitting casually on the bed. "I took the liberty of calling your mom to ask if you can spend the night tonight. I was going to tell you after the concert. She even brought your clothes."  
  
Riku pointed to a small red duffel bag in the corner that had Sora's name written on it. Sora sank to his knees, his gaze now shifted to the bag. ~Oh god...a whole night here! I'm going to lose my mind!~  
  
Walking over to the bag, Sora took out a pair of clean blood red boxers and walked over to the bathroom. "I...need a shower..." he said almost mechanically.  
  
Riku nodded and watched Sora shuffle into the bathroom, shutting the door quietly. Deciding to get more food, Riku exited his room with the tray brought from his father and ran downstairs to see his father sitting at the table reading a newspaper. He headed straight for the refrigerator and pulled out more strawberries, bananas, and whip cream. After getting three bananas, several strawberries and a bowl of whip cream, Riku headed back to the stairs only to be stopped by, "You must really like Sora. No one has come to this house since Taiyou."  
  
"Yea, I do," was his only response.  
  
Bounding back up the stairs, Riku reached his room in time to see Sora waiting nervously on the bed. His face was lit with a fiery blush, and his bright sapphire eyes darted back and forth across the room like a trapped animal.   
  
It was truly a hilarious sight.   
  
Laughing, Riku approached Sora with the tray in his hands. "What are you so nervous about? Relax. We aren't breaking any rules."  
  
"Yes, we are. This is the one thing you do NOT do!"  
  
Sora sprung up from the bed and began pacing the room, consumed in his thoughts. The fact that he had to sleep over here in his 'condition' with Riku probably being in nothing more than a pair of boxers is literally driving him insane. He has Kairi, but there are some things that Riku has that Kairi doesn't...  
  
Well-toned chest. Muscular arms and legs. Gorgeous silver hair. Piercing sea-green eyes. Not to mention that large thing down south...  
  
Riku only watched as he sat the tray of fruit on the nightstand. "Sora, it is just a sleepover. You're acting like we're getting ready to have sex or something..."  
  
"SEX?! What?!" Sora yelled springing up off of his spot on the bed. "We weren't planning that! You're right. We weren't! Yea...we weren't..."  
  
Riku stared at the panicked boy in disbelief, a smile creeping up on his face. "Unless...you're not telling me something, Sora."  
  
Like a forest fire, the blush on Sora's face spread quickly. He blinked several times before he settled his gaze on the floor. Crossing his arms stubbornly, Sora's mouth twisted into a frown, his blush still apparent. "Don't be ridiculous, Riku. Sex is the absolutely last thing on my mind!"  
  
Eyebrows perked up. "Really?"  
  
A laugh. "Yes."  
  
"Then why were you so uptight about me eating a mere banana?"  
  
The question had caught Sora off guard, causing him to stutter an answer. "B-because..."  
  
"Because what?" Riku asked, not giving him the chance to give a proper answer.   
  
"W-well..."  
  
Riku began to walk slowly to Sora. His voice had dropped to nothing but a whisper now. "Well what?"  
  
As Riku came forward, Sora took a step backward. Eventually, he hit the wall and began looking futilely for an escape. He looked into Riku's eyes occasionally before he went back to his search. He felt like that day when he first met Riku: intimidated and flat-out scared beyond belief. There is something about Riku that sends sparks right down to his groin, and for Riku to get closer, he doesn't know what he might do...  
  
Riku laughed softly and seductively, causing Sora to look back up and stay looking. "Sex..."  
  
Pushing Sora fully against the wall with his right hand, Riku's left hand drifted down Sora's stomach and continued a tortuous path downward until it reached the zipper. Riku heard Sora's breath hitch, causing him to laugh once again. "...is not the last thing on your mind, Sora."  
  
Sora unconsciously closed his eyes, his breath coming in short, quick intervals. He tried as hard as he possibly could to think straight; to avoid the familiar haze creeping back up into his mind. Riku was right; Sex wasn't the last thing on his mind. It once was at a certain period of time until he met Riku. He felt a hand brush across his erection. Instantaneously, he opened his eyes, all breathing stopped.   
  
He stared at the silver-haired boy, watching his actions and body language closely. Riku had just glanced into his eyes, playfulness dancing in his eyes. His body seemed relaxed and tensed as if he were holding something back. Or to be more specific, as if he were holding himself back. The boy now turned away, cocking his head to the side. "Oh yea, that's right. The promise."  
  
Sudden horror struck Sora like a streak of jagged lightning. He DID make Riku promise that they wouldn't do anything of that nature, and he should have done it because it is necessary. But after the way Riku touched him like that...  
  
Screw the promise.  
  
It was as if his last shred of control snapped and the haze completely clouded all common sense and reasonable, coherent thought. Only Riku could evoke this raw feeling he had, and this may be the only time he could satisfy it.  
  
Riku turned around to see Sora advancing towards him. Slightly put off by his actions, Riku put a hand on his hip and tilted his head to the side. "Sora, what are you doin---oof!"  
  
Sora just did the one thing he least expected. He pounced.  
  
Both boys landed on the bed in a heap, but that was soon changed by Sora, who quickly pinned Riku's wrists together above his head and his legs with his own legs. In spite of his shock, Riku struggled automatically, looking into Sora's eyes. A predatory gleam was quite apparent in the younger boy's eyes, and in fact, his whole stance reeked of animalistic qualities. The way he pounced, the look in his eyes, the rapid gain of dominance...  
  
Overall, it was very arousing to say the least.  
  
Sora pressed his lips against Riku's with overwhelming desperation, his left hand wandering across the older boy's body while his right hand held Riku's wrists together. He dragged his tongue across Riku's lower lip, and Riku complied almost immediately. The wandering left hand soon made its way to the hem of his baggy silver pants and slipped inside, grasping the erection there. A low moan escaped Riku's lips as a battle of dominance soon ensued. Sora began losing his will to fight as he continued applying hard, long strokes. The grip he had on Riku's wrists slackened, causing Riku to quickly take advantage of the situation. Grabbing Sora's shoulders, Riku flipped him over and sat on the lower area of his stomach, out of breath and almost out of control. "Now Sora," he spoke slowly as if he were speaking to a child, "you're the one who created the promise and you already want to break it?"  
  
"Yes," Sora whined while stroking Riku once more.   
  
Riku hissed and promptly took Sora's hand out of his pants. "As much as I want to let you continue, you made an excellent point. This is not a good idea."  
  
Sora let out what appeared to be a blend of whining and whimpering and tried sitting up so that Riku was straddling him. Riku sighed and placed his hands on Sora's shoulders, looking into his eyes. "If you hadn't created this promise and made that point, we wouldn't be in this situation."  
  
At that moment, his pocket began to vibrate. Both Sora and Riku looked with curiosity only to find out it was Riku's cell phone. Riku sighed once more before he took the silver cell phone out of his pocket, flipped it open and pressed it to his ear. "Hello?"  
  
//Koneko, where are you?//  
  
"Hi Taiyou," Riku responded as he crawled off of Sora. "I'm at my house with Sora."  
  
//With Sora, eh?//  
  
Riku heard the slight annoyance in his tone and looked towards the bed, where Sora was eating some whip cream and strawberries. "Yea, he's sleeping over my house today. We were just discussing certain issues, you know."  
  
//Oh, well you seem out of breath, Riku. What were you guys doing?//  
  
Riku glared at Sora. "We got into a disagreement and decided to battle it out," he lied, still glaring at Sora. "Sora got the best of me for a moment, but I ended up winning."  
  
There was a pause on the other end for a few minutes, causing Riku to worry. Back before they had broken up, Taiyou could tell when Riku was lying. He didn't know whether or not Taiyou still had that skill or not. //Oh, ok.// Riku let out a sigh of relief. //Well, Kairi wants to talk to him right quick.//   
  
"Alright." Riku handed Sora the phone. He took it. "Hello?"  
  
//Sora! You just left without saying where you were going! I was worried about you.//  
  
"No need to worry, Kairi. Me and Riku were just talking outside, then we went to his house."  
  
//All right, remember that tomorrow is our study session. You promised to help me with my English.//  
  
"Ok, Kairi, I'll be there."  
  
//Thanks a lot. I'm giving the phone back to Taiyou right now.//  
  
Sora heard some noises in the background before he heard Taiyou's voice. //I left something in Riku's car so I'm coming over to get it. Tell Riku that, will ya?//  
  
"Sure."  
  
//Alright, talk to you later.//  
  
The phone went dead before Sora flipped the phone shut and handed it to Riku. "Taiyou is coming over to get something he left in your car," he said while looking around the room. "Now, where am I going to sleep?"  
  
Riku watched in amazement as Sora began to make himself a small bed on the floor. Nearly five minutes ago, he was a sexy, seductive predator and now, he's back to himself. A personality change in that short amount of time was nothing short of fascinating. "I can go get you a mattress if you want."  
  
"No, I'm fine." he responded, snatching a pillow off of Riku's bed.   
  
Settling himself in his spot on the floor, Sora turned his back to Riku and attempted to sleep. "G'night, Riku."  
  
Riku watched Sora once more before heading to the bathroom. ~He's so multi-dimensional...how do you keep up with something like that?~  
  
He turned on the shower, stripped down, then stepped inside, unknowing of the plan Sora began formulating just outside the door.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Kami = God  
  
Koneko = Kitten  
  
Finished! You guys are probably thinking that this chapter doesn't have any real significance and rest assured, it does in later chapters. I will be updating sooner than this last update so please let me know what you think so far. It helps, folks. It really does. More plot development in the next chapter, and when I say more, I mean more! Gah, I can't wait!   
  
Please review! Constructive criticism is welcome.  
  
Until then, ja.  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	7. Trials and Tribulations 7

Author Notes: I'm back with another installment of Trials and Tribulations! Crystalline Tears, I dedicate this chapter to you for your brilliant review! You got all the points I wanted to set out, and your questions about Taiyou are great! His feelings will be revealed in this chapter.   
  
I HAVE A YAHOO! GROUP NOW!! Please join the group if you want to give me ideas on my two stories. You can access it here:   
  
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hearts_of_ice211  
  
Special Thanks To: Kairi099, myredraincoat, onlyHAUNTED, Quicksilver The Pained Goddess, CLOud, Heather Christi, Rinoki (Rio), LiL vAmP1, camigirl4k3, Swords of Chaos, KAWAIIROXY, Ariana, Sillie, meemz263, Rock-Howard-17, Kurai Kaiba, diamond_princess2006, Crystalline Tears, Crimson mist, KaoruFan, Princess of Mirrors, emsdesire, Ally, Kawaii Keiko, Alladin-san, Raven's Light, and my Mediaminer reviewers: yamichaos and fake-wings- or rissa!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here! Explicit content!!! Not for children!!!  
  
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
*..............* Means an action  
  
~..............~ Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
Trials and Tribulations   
  
Chapter Seven  
  
:Flashback:  
  
"Hey, Riku! It's me, open the window."  
  
Riku stirred from his peaceful rest to here a loud tap. Rubbing his eyes sleepily, he automatically looked to Sora, who was sleeping just as he had been a minute before. Letting out a sigh, Riku crawled from under his large comforter to the window and opened, a small figure waving down below. Instantly spotting the light brown hair and amber eyes, Riku looked to Sora once more before jumping out of the window onto a nearby tree. He used his cat-like grace to scale down the tree silently, and in a few short moments, he landed in front of Taiyou. The moon was full overhead, casting down its silvery rays and illuminated Taiyou's worried-filled amber eyes. Riku frowned slightly as he spotted the emotion in his boyfriend's eyes. Wrapping his arms around the older boy's waist, Riku laid his head upon Taiyou's chest. "Taiyou...?" he whispered.   
  
As he heard his name, Taiyou looked down and flashed a brief smile before returning the hug. "You seemed really upset today at the concert, Riku," Taiyou whispered as well, kissing Riku's forehead.   
  
"I was just shocked, that's all," Riku responded. He was telling the truth; he was shocked. It just ran deeper than that...so much so that he didn't really want to explain it.  
  
Taiyou lifted Riku's chin, looking deep into his eyes. "You aren't lying...but you aren't completely telling me the truth, are you?"  
  
Sighing, Riku ran his hand through his hair. "I was pissed off if you want the complete truth. I mean Kairi had betrayed him when he needed her most and now she sings a song and everything is forgotten? I only know that she left him and joined some group who made a daily habit of making fun of him. Tidus and Selphie said she did something else, but that I have to talk to Sora about it if I want to find out. If what she did was that bad that I need his permission to know, then I think Kairi shouldn't be so easily forgiven."  
  
Riku breathed in deep, then let out a huge sigh. He realized that the mere thought of that moment at the concert was getting him angry all over again so he stopped explaining. ~I really shouldn't be feeling this way. If Sora wants to get with Kairi despite what she has done, then that is his business.~  
  
Taiyou just absorbed the information given. He was jealous that Sora evoked these negative feelings in his boyfriend, but he was also glad that Riku cared. When he first met Riku, the younger boy didn't care for anyone except his own well being. Rightfully so, since his father had practically given up on him and his mother...  
  
Placing a small kiss on Riku's cheek, Taiyou broke away from the embrace and began walking to his car. Riku ran to him and stopped him by placing his hands on his chest. "Taiyou...I'm sorry if I made you angry, but I couldn't help it..."  
  
Taiyou laughed and brought Riku back into an embrace. "It's ok, Riku. You told me the truth, and that is what matters. I've realized how you feel about Sora. You're just looking after him."  
  
"Yea," Riku responded weakly. A dagger of guilt had just been thrown straight into his heart. He was looking after him, and before he was looking for Sora to BE with him. But after that statement said...  
  
Sora would have to be with Kairi. And he would be with Taiyou.  
  
With Taiyou, he pictured romantic walks, candlelit dinners, and bathtubs filled with rose petals. With Sora, he pictured roaring clubs, fast food restaurants, and daring adventures. He could easily envision himself traveling the world with Sora by his side, fueling the passion. Basically...  
  
Taiyou - elegant, refined, and in control  
  
Sora - wild, out of control, and daring  
  
As much as he wanted to dominate that wild spirit, Riku knew that being with Taiyou and Sora being with Kairi is the best for all of them.   
  
Riku wrapped his arms around Taiyou and kissed him deeply. Taiyou responded immediately and tightened his grip around Riku's waist, parting his lips with his own curious tongue. The time was lost to the two, and only parted because of the need for oxygen. Breathing deeply, a smile appeared on Taiyou's face. "What was that for?"  
  
Kissing Taiyou once again, Riku leaned his forehead on his boyfriend's. "For helping me. Thank you."  
  
Even though he was confused, Taiyou gave a final hug before getting into his car. Waving goodbye, he backed out the driveway and drove into the distance with Riku watching him the entire way.  
  
:End Flashback:  
  
Smiling in his sleep at the memory of last night, Riku shifted to get covered more by his comforter.  
  
Or shifted as much as he could.  
  
~Why do I feel so stiff? And what the hell is on my stomach?~  
  
Riku groggily opened his eyes and tried to sit up only to be restrained. He looked around frantically to find that he was cuffed.   
  
Handcuffed.  
  
"What the fuck is this?" he hissed, throwing his head from side to side. "Is this some kind of sick joke?"  
  
Laughing could be heard from the entrance of the room, gaining Riku's attention. There was Sora, clad in only his crimson boxers and a devilish smirk on his face. He strode over to Riku and promptly climbed on top of the older boy, poking his wrists with amusement as he straddled him directly on his groin. "You know Riku..." he whispered leaning over to kiss his jaw line. "You left me unsatisfied last night..."  
  
A spark of excitement shot straight down to his groin, causing him to writhe uncomfortably. "Sora, get off. And what is on my stomach?!" he hissed with annoyance.  
  
Sora chuckled and brushed his finger over Riku's stomach. Whip cream covered his finger and he licked it off nice and clean. "Whip cream. It was going to go to waste so I thought I would use it before it did."  
  
Riku sighed. ~I swear this boy has split personality...~  
  
A hot, wet feeling woke Riku from his thoughts. He looked to his stomach to see Sora licking off the whip cream, his gaze locked on Riku. ~I can't hurt Taiyou...~  
  
"Sora, you have to stop!"  
  
Sora kissed his way up to the older boy's face before he stopped, looking at Riku curiously. "Why?" he asked innocently. "I can feel you are enjoying this."  
  
Looking into the devil's sapphire eyes, Riku tried desperately to think off something that would instantly snap out of his 'mode'. "Because you have to go to Kairi's house right?"  
  
Sora's eyes widened and in a flash, the boy hopped off Riku and headed straight to the bathroom, but not before grabbing the small red duffel bag in the corner. "Shit, shit, shit, shit!" he hissed as he shut the door.  
  
Riku leaned back and relaxed, glad that Sora's administrations didn't get to him too much. He laid there for a few minutes before he realized a crucial detail:  
  
"Sora! Get me out of these handcuffs!"  
  
* * * * * *  
  
They arrived at Kairi's house - well, at least Sora - within forty-five minutes, due to Riku being bound. Sora actually lost the keys, so he had to find them as soon as possible. In the end, the small silver keys were knocked off of the bed because of Riku's struggling and were found in about ten minutes. For his own well-being, Sora unlock the handcuff on Riku's right wrist and let him do the rest while he ran out the house.   
  
Yea, he was definitely in trouble for that stunt.  
  
Ringing the doorbell, Sora waited patiently outside of her house, his backpack slung over his shoulder. A wave of nervousness suddenly washed over him, causing him to shift from foot to foot. He felt like he was back in elementary school when he first developed a crush on his long time friend. Every time she remotely got close to him, he began blushing fiercely and moved away as fast as he could.  
  
'Sora? Are you ok?' she used to question. 'You're really red! You might have a fever.'  
  
He laughed silently to himself as he rung the doorbell once more. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" a masculine voice yelled.  
  
The door opened as soon as the words were yelled, revealing a tall, young man with short auburn hair and emerald eyes. Clad in loose black slacks and a silver shirt with 'UNIVERSITY OF DESTINY ISLANDS' printed in black, the irritated expression on his face quickly dissipated, and he patted Sora on the back. "Hey, Sora! Long time no see. How've you been?"  
  
"Good, thanks Akihito."  
  
"Call me Aki, Sora, we're not strangers. I used to be stuck babysitting you and Kairi, remember?"  
  
Sora smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head nervously. "Yea, I remember. Kairi always told me you were the 'meanest, stupidest older brother ever.'"  
  
Aki laughed and looked behind Sora. "New friend of Kairi's?"  
  
Sora blinked and looked behind as well to see Riku standing there. "Oh yea, umm Riku, this is Aki, Kairi's older brother. Aki, this is Riku."  
  
Aki gave him a suspicious look, but held out his hand and shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you." he greeted.   
  
Riku only smiled and shook his hand just as firm.  
  
"Aki, stop messing with my guests!"  
  
Turning around, Aki glared at his younger sister and headed upstairs, but not before waving to Sora. "See ya later, Sora. It's good to see you!"  
  
Sora only waved in response as he stepped into the house and gave Kairi a hug and a kiss. She smiled brightly and gladly returned the hug and kiss before walking over to Riku and greeting him. Riku only nodded to her greeting. "Go on up to my room, guys, I'll be up in a sec." she said.  
  
The boys agreed and walked up the stairs, making a right and going down the long stretch of carpet. Her lavender room was seen through the open door, and the boys went straight into the room and sat on the bed. Her large queen sized bed was covered with a lavender comforter that had intricate silverish-blue patterns on it. Her walls sported Four Keys posters and pictures of friends and family.  
  
Riku looked around the room before settling his gaze on Sora. The younger boy was staring directly ahead, his face mixed with a blend of sadness and happiness. Riku followed his gaze to a small faded picture in a "Friends Forever" frame perched upon the white dresser. He picked it up, studying its contents closely. Kairi and Sora were sitting on a curved tree trunk, star-shaped fruit attached to its branches. The two had to be around eight years old. Kairi was kissing Sora on the cheek while he was blushing fiercely, eyes looking away from the camera. In spite of his jealously for the long time friends, he had to smile at the overall cuteness of the picture. He looked into the young Sora's eyes, spotting the innocence that he didn't see in the present day Sora. Turning around, Riku looked at Sora and walked to him. He gently tilted Sora's chin and looked deep in his eyes, gaining him a questioning look in return. "What happened to that innocence, Sora?"  
  
Sora only looked back with confusion, cocking his head to the side to emphasis it. "Huh?"  
  
As much as he wanted to let the subject go, Riku knew that this was his golden opportunity. He continued. "What happened in middle school?"  
  
Riku instantly recognized the thick tension that started to arise. Sora had froze, his look of confusion turning into that of a soulless being. The color literally drained from his face. A deafening silence passed between them, causing Riku to sigh. "Forget I asked," he said, trying to hide the disappointment in his tone.  
  
"Sora! Riku! Come downstairs to the living room," Kairi's voice rang though the hallways.  
  
Sora sighed deeply, as if he was holding his breath, and headed out the room. Riku headed out as well, slightly angry with himself. ~I shouldn't have brought that up. Now things are going to be awkward between us.~  
  
He clenched his fist in frustration, descending the carpet stairs slowly. Sora and Kairi weren't in sight, but he figured they had to do something together so he sat on the couch, looking out of the large picture window in front of him. A familiar compact silver car pulled into the driveway, causing Riku to jump up from the couch and head to the door. His boyfriend got out the car, and took his backpack out of the car. He spotted Riku in the window and waved. Riku waved back and opened the front door, letting the older boy in. "Hey Riku," Taiyou greeted as he kissed him on the cheek.  
  
"Hey, what are you doing here? Are you helping Kairi with her English too?"  
  
"No, I'm helping her with her Geometry."  
  
The two boys laughed and sat down on the couch. "I don't know what Kairi and Sora are doing," Riku commented, "but I guess they'll be back soon."  
  
As if on cue, Kairi and Sora walked into the room, each holding a tray. Kairi's tray had club sandwiches while Sora's tray had the beverages. His face was tinged pink from a light blush. Riku noticed this and raised his eyebrow in questioning. Sora only looked at him briefly before looking away. Taiyou watched the interaction between Sora and Riku and silently wondered. ~Did something happen between them last night?~  
  
Sora and Kairi sat down on the couch in front of Taiyou and Riku. Kairi pulled her backpack towards her and pulled out her English book. "Ok, let's get started!" she said cheerfully.   
  
The boys only nodded in response, starting the study session.  
  
^*^  
  
*KNOCK KNOCK*  
  
Kado looked towards the door in complete annoyance. He roughly got out of his office chair and stalked towards the door, yanking it open and staring face to face with one of his lackeys. The lackey took a step back in fear, gazing at the floor to avoid contact with his boss. "I-i know that you're angry, K-Kado, so I w-won't be long."  
  
Letting out a huff of anger, Kado stepped to the side to let the lackey into his room. He slammed the door behind him and seated himself back on the office chair facing the computer. "What do you want?" he snapped, glaring at the boy standing in the middle of his room. "I don't have time to be bothered with you right now."  
  
The lackey paused before he started. "Well, word has it that Kairi and Sora are now going out."  
  
Kado spun his chair around fiercely, anger blazing in his eyes. "Sora and Kairi are what?!"  
  
Flinching once more, the lackey avoided the heated glare of Kado. "They're going out. Yesterday night at the concert, she went up on stage and sang for him in front of everyone."  
  
Kado growled in frustration. Because of the fight between him and Sora, he had his car taken away and he was grounded for Kami-knows-how long. If he wasn't grounded, he could have ruined that touching moment...  
  
"Hey, Kado, don't you know that Kairi girl really well?"  
  
Awakened from his thoughts, Kado nodded. "Her brother and I were good friends. He's in college though."  
  
"Akihito, right? I saw him outside, mowing the lawn."  
  
Kado stood up abruptly and headed for the window. He pushed it opened and climbed right out, gaining a curious stare from his lackey. Landing in the side yard, Kado jogged to Kairi's house. ~The perfect revenge...~  
  
^*^  
  
Laughter filled the living room as the four friends were clutching their stomachs. Riku was the first to recover as he looked to Kairi. "Do you realize what you just said? You said 'I eat shit for breakfast' in English!"  
  
Sora fell off the couch, burying his face in his hands while Taiyou burst out laughing once more, leaning on Riku for support. The only evidence of Kairi's laughter was the shaking of her shoulders and the tears of laughter pouring from her cheeks. "I told you I was bad at English, Riku! You didn't believe me?"  
  
"I seriously didn't think you were this bad. What level are you in?"  
  
"Level 2."  
  
"Oh, that's why," Taiyou said, getting up and stretching.   
  
Everyone else followed suit before plopping back down on the couch. Each were tired from all that laughing, and all of them had one thing on their mind:  
  
Break time.  
  
"Since we're done with English, we can take a break before we start Geometry."  
  
"Are you sure we're done?" Sora said, laughing some more.  
  
Kairi hit Sora playfully, then gathered up the empty plates and glasses. Walking into the kitchen, she dropped off the dishes and headed back into the living room. Taiyou was sprawled out on the couch with Riku laying with him. Sora was nowhere in sight. Kairi looked around before turning to Riku and Taiyou. "Where's Sora?"  
  
"Upstairs," Riku responded. "He didn't say why, though."  
  
Kairi frowned slightly as she walked to the front door. "Can you get him, Riku? I have to talk to my brother right quick."  
  
He nodded and sat up off of Taiyou. Running up the stairs, he automatically headed to Kairi's room. Slowly approaching the door, he spotted Sora over by the far side of the room, looking at a torn and ragged picture. Widening the door and making himself known, Riku walked into the room. "Kairi wanted you." he stated.  
  
The younger boy didn't move or respond; he just continued to stare at the picture, his eyes glazed over in reminisce. Riku sighed before heading out of the room.  
  
"After Kairi left, I was alone with only a few associates."  
  
Riku turned around and leaned against the door with Sora still staring at the picture. "By the middle of 6th grade, I was the 'loner' who talked to himself instead of having a group of friends. But that changed when I met Irvine."  
  
Sora sighed and sat on the bed, Riku following his example. "He was my first friend in middle school, even though he was a year older than me. He had a group of friends - Seifer, Yuna, Quistis, and Rinoa - but he stayed with me. Until his friends finally invited me to be with them."  
  
He paused, taking in a deep breath before he continued. "I thought they were my actual friends. They gave me advice, made me laugh, let me hang out with them. After Kairi deserting me, I closed myself off to anyone and everyone, including my parents. But they - well, Irvine - made me feel welcome, like I actually had someone to rely on. But in the seventh grade, they used my crush on Kairi to their sick advantage. All of them had convinced me   
  
to ask out Kairi because she 'wanted' me to. Well, I did it and ended up getting laughed out of the school."  
  
Sora stood up and walked to the door, looking at Riku in the eyes. "You wanted to know, so there."  
  
Throwing the picture on the dresser, he left the room with his backpack. Riku stayed behind and walked over to the picture.   
  
Kairi and Sora were clad in hunter's clothing, grinning in triumph.  
  
^*^  
  
By time Riku got downstairs, Taiyou and Sora were at the front door, talking to Aki and Kairi. "Hey guys, what's up?"  
  
Aki turned to Riku. "We're going to get more food. Wanna come?"  
  
"Yea, sure. Kairi, are you coming?"  
  
"No, I have some things to go here. Go ahead, I'm sure you guys won't be long."  
  
"Alright," Sora said, kissing her on the cheek. "Guys let's go."  
  
Aki, Riku, Sora, and Taiyou headed out the door, piling into Taiyou's compact car. Kairi watched the car drive off before she headed upstairs. Sighing happily, she jumped on the bed and squealed into her hands while holding the cheek Sora kissed her on. Totally involved in her thoughts, she failed to notice the squeaking of her door as it widened. She lowered her hands to spot long black hair and onyx eyes. She instantly backed up, but placed a hand on her heart while sighing with relief. "Kado, you scared me. What are you doing here?"  
  
He didn't respond. Kairi cocked her hand to the side in confusion. "Kado..."  
  
The upperclassmen mumbled something not audible, then ran to Kairi and grabbed her wrists. Kairi's eyes widened in fear as she squirmed, desperate to get away from the stronger boy. "S-Stop!! You're hurting me!"  
  
His mouth twisting into a demonic smile, he silenced Kairi with his lips, biting her lower lip to the point of drawing blood. She let out a cry of pain and hopelessness as he began to rip off her clothes.  
  
"K-KADO...NOOOO!!"  
  
^*^  
  
Finished! If you want the unedited version, then just email me at MercuryGoddess2001@yahoo.com. My website is being stupid at the moment so I'll just email it to you myself.  
  
Please review!   
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	8. Trials and Tribulations 8

Author Notes: I broke the 100 mark with reviews! You guys just don't know how happy I am! *grins stupidly* I'm like slap happy now. Well, I just have one thing to say: Anonymous reviewers please leave your email addresses!! If you want to be on the mailing list that is...  
  
*I HAVE A YAHOO! GROUP NOW!! Please join the group if you want to give me ideas on my two stories. You can access it here:   
  
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hearts_of_ice211  
  
Special Thanks To: Kairi099, Sora Otaku, silvermoonstar-tenshi, Princess of Mirrors, Uzumaki-sama, onlyHAUNTED, tiamat066, emsdesire, Rinoki(Rio), Kyari, myredraincoat, Heather Christi, Ariana, Rock-Howard-17, KaoruFan, Ocean-eyed Songstress, J_X, diamond_princess2006, Crystalline Tears, camigirl4k3, and my Mediaminer reviewers: Kyria the fallen angel, Bammers, and Nakama!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
*..............* Means an action  
  
~..............~ Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
Trials and Tribulations   
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Crystal clear tears cascading down Sora's now pale face as he tightened his grip around Riku's waist, staring at the bleeding body before him. Kairi's mother's blood curling scream echoed throughout his mind, body and soul; crimson red filled his vision. He knew who did this, and he knew why. But what he couldn't figure out was why Kado would go this far, why he would cross the line this much as to bring Kairi into this. Why did he torture her? The bruises and swells were evidence enough that he did.   
  
Kairi's mother fainted and was now in the arms of her oldest son. His emerald eyes displayed his rage, frustration and betrayal while his facial features turned stoic. Taiyou was cleaning up the blood and Riku was holding Sora, trying somehow to calm the younger boy down.  
  
It had little effect on Sora.  
  
He was deeply submerged in an ocean of self-hatred and hatred for the boy called Kado. If only he stayed home like Kairi wanted him to, none of this would have ever happened. Kairi wouldn't be on her way to the hospital, an oxygen mask covering her face. He would have never ran down the stairs to see Kairi dangling from the basement ceiling, bruises veiling her body, blood seeping through her ripped shirt, and most of all, her eyes staring blankly ahead of her, filled with hopelessness and pain. If only he had passed up the chance to spend with Aki...  
  
Kairi would still be alive.   
  
Her spirit wouldn't have been killed off; her innocence wouldn't have been shattered...  
  
Her fire wouldn't have been extinguished.  
  
Riku felt the grip around his waist tighten immensely, causing him to look down at the boy he was embracing. Sora was crying no more; the look in his eyes reflected so much emotion that they seemed to blend together, canceling each other out and leaving nothing but an empty void. But for a split second, he saw something else. Something that was familar to the silver-haired boy.  
  
For a split second, his eyes were glazed over in sad reminisce.  
  
Breath hitched, Riku continued to observe Sora. Was he remembering something? Did...something like this happen to him?? "Sora..." he whispered.  
  
No response.  
  
"Sora." he said more urgently.  
  
At that moment, the younger boy began to tremble. "I'll kill him.." he mumbled.  
  
"What?" Riku heard what he said, but he couldn't believe that those three words were so powerful. Of course he couldn't even began to know what Sora was feeling since he never had a problem like this before, but the raw determination blended with anger of that statement rocked the foundation of his soul in the worst way possible...  
  
Sora yanked himself from Riku's warm embrace and sprinted up the stairs. "I'LL KILL HIM!!"  
  
Riku paused momentarily to recover from shock and to glance at the others. Taiyou's look of disgust and pity turned immediately into that of a panicked companion. He dropped the mop and followed the path of Sora, Riku close behind him. They found Sora ripping open the front door, running out into the street and barely dodging the cars passing by. The younger boy sprinted down the street as he looked desperately from house to house. Riku and Taiyou split up - Riku staying on the same side of the street and Taiyou crossing the street. Sora was in the middle, blinded by his rage so much so that he didn't even make an attempt to dodge the cars anymore. Riku picked up the pace as well as Taiyou and the two boys came together in the middle to tackle the enraged Sora. Rolling to the side of the street with Sora in his arms, Riku locked the cinnamon-haired boy's arms to his side while Taiyou grabbed his legs. Sora struggled fully, causing the two older boys a little bit of trouble. "Let me GO!" he screamed at them. "I'll fucking kill him!! I swear it!!!"  
  
Riku leaned close to Sora's ear. "Sora...please calm down...Kairi needs you right now."  
  
The struggling slackened but by all means didn't stop. The huffing of Sora decreased, and the rise and fall of his chest started to regulate. Riku tried once more. "I'll be the shoulder you cry on, Sora..." he whispered softly.   
  
With that familiar phrase said, Sora turned around and dug his face into Riku's shoulder. He let out all of his frustration, anger, and sadness through the tears that continued to flow down his cheeks. The sobs over took his body, causing him to tremble violently as he pounded his fist on Riku's chest. Riku did nothing but tighten his embrace, tears threatening to fall from his face. But he had to be strong for the both of them.  
  
Even though he didn't like Kairi that much, no one deserves that.   
  
Looking to Taiyou, Riku mouthed to him if he could bring the car down here and take them to the hospital. The older boy quickly complied and went on his way, but not before planting a small kiss on Riku's forehead. He smiled weakly at the gesture, then watched his boyfriend head back to the house. When he was out of sight, Riku shifted his gaze to Sora. The only remnants of the tears were the stains on his pale cheeks, and the redness of his puffy sapphire eyes. His breathing was back to their regular tempo. Grabbing his chin, Riku pulled his face up so that they were eye level. "We're going to the hospital now, Sora. We should be able to see Kairi."  
  
Sora nodded weakly before rested his head back on Riku's shoulder. Riku let out a sigh and waited for Taiyou to come.  
  
^*^  
  
The car ride to the hospital was, for the most part, silent. Kairi's mother had awakened from her fainting spell, but remained unmoving like a corpse. She sat in the front next to the driver, Taiyou. Aki, Riku and Sora were seated in the back seat of the car.   
  
Riku - still holding Sora - looked out the window, contemplating the words Sora yelled over and over. Of course everyone says things out of anger, but the way Sora said it...  
  
He meant every word.  
  
If he had somehow crossed paths with Kado, he probably would have killed the older boy. That is the scary part of this situation. Sora must not be left alone. If he is, there's no telling what might happen next. He already figured out that Sora has a very creative mind - the handcuffs and whip cream were a clue. If that's the case, who knows HOW Sora might actually try to kill. Fire, suffocation, hanging...  
  
There is no way to know with Sora.  
  
It was one of the reasons why he liked Sora so much in the first place. But for right now, this trait was definitely not good. Riku broke his gaze to look at Sora once again. It appears the younger boy fell asleep - understandably though. He must have been physically, mentally, and emotionally drained right now. Brushing a stray strand out of Sora's face, Riku sighed and silently wondered the condition of Kairi. Thanks to Sora's quick thinking, he was able to get his parents over Kairi's house to stop the bleeding and treat the minor wounds. They also got an ambulance to come extra fast because of their positions in the medical field.   
  
All in all, both of Kairi's arms were broken, she had bruises on her cheeks, neck, and wrists, and the lining of her inner walls were ripped. Riku felt his undeniable anger swell up inside him. Kairi didn't deserve that. What the fuck was Kado thinking? Bringing Kairi into his and Sora's argument. Only a coward does that! He let out a small growl. ~Whatever Sora has planned for him, I'll help. That bastard deserves what ever punishment Sora dishes out!~  
  
"We're here." Taiyou announced, turning off the car. He unlocked the doors, walked around to the passenger side and opened the door, helping Ms. Tatewaki out. Riku shifted his weight so that he could reach the door, still holding the sleeping Sora with one arm. He finally managed to open the door after a few moments and took one foot out at a time. Shaking Sora softly but firmly, Riku leaned down. "Sora...we're here. Wake up, Sora."  
  
He felt Sora stir slightly. Bringing his arm up, he rubbed his eyes before sitting up completely. He looked around, stopping as his gaze rested on the familiar white building. Eyes widened to their fullest, he leaped off Riku and ran towards the hospital. Aki and Riku got out of the car and followed closely behind Sora.   
  
Because of Sora's parents, the group - once again - was able to get in without having any complications. Also, his parents managed to get Kairi a private room. Actually, it was one of the best rooms in the hospital. Mrs. Tatewaki paid what she had, but Sora's mom generously offered to sort out the rest.   
  
Sora jogged up and down the long, white hallways, searching for room 211. He weaved in and out of the groups of doctors and nurses that passed by, making it increasingly harder for the others to actually keep an eye on him. He finally found his destination and burst in the room. Running to the side of the bed, he quickly skimmed over Kairi's current condition. She appeared to be out of her shock and sleeping as peacefully as she could. Occasional frowns and whimpers would appear and escaped from her, causing Sora to sigh in exasperation. Her arms were in slings, and her cheeks were bandaged. He wondered about the other area, but decided to wait until her doctor came inside. Aki, Riku, and Taiyou walked in with Mrs. Tatewaki trailing behind them. They each took a seat except for Mrs. Tatewaki. She walked to the other side of the bed and held her daughter's hand. Stray tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched Kairi frowning and whimpering slightly. Sora held her other hand. With that one simple gesture, Kairi's frowning ceased, and she continued to sleep calmly.   
  
"I see you guys made it."  
  
Everyone turned around to see Dr. Miyazaki enter the room, carrying a folder of papers in his hand. Sora jumped up from his position and hugged the doctor fiercely. "When did you become Kairi's doctor, Dad?!"  
  
"Just a few minutes ago," Dr. Miyazaki said, looking at everyone with his striking cerulean eyes. "I asked the Board of Directors to let me have this particular patient."  
  
Mrs. Tatewaki walked to Dr. Miyazaki and hugged him as well. "Thank you so much for your kindness." she choked out as she tried to wipe her falling tears. "You guys have truly been a blessing."  
  
The doctor returned the hug to the fullest, keeping his eye on Kairi and her condition. "You know we would do anything for you, Ayaka. Just say the word and the Miyazaki family is here."  
  
She nodded weakly in response and returned to Kairi's side. "I'm glad you all are here so that I can give you the news on her condition." He opened the folder, scanning the first page briefly. "Her arms are indeed broken, but if she keeps them from breaking once more, they will heal properly."  
  
Ayaka let out a relieved sigh while the others just nodded.   
  
"Regarding her bruises, they should be completely gone in two weeks max. Make sure she doesn't poke at them or anything so that they can heal faster."  
  
Taking a deep breath, Dr. Miyazaki looked around to everyone before he finished off his report. "With her inner walls, some surgery has to be done to stitch them up. Right now, some temporary stitches have been put into place so that the bleeding stops, but tomorrow is when she will get the actual stitches."  
  
Ayaka let out a sob and covered her face with her hands. Taiyou - as well as Aki - walked over to her and began comforting her as much as possible while Riku quickly shifted his gaze to Sora. His teeth were gritted tightly, eyes still watching Kairi. His muscles visibly tensed and his breath became erratic. Dr. Miyazaki seemed to notice this as well and placed a comforting hand on his son's shoulder. "After the surgery, she will most likely be put in a wheelchair for a week or two. Classes to help her get used to walking again will be available at that time. They're three times a week for 2 hours."  
  
Another sob erupted from Ayaka, causing her to buckle at the knees and collapse to the floor. Her fall was softened by the grip of Taiyou and Aki, who let her down softly and continued to comfort her. Dr. Miyazaki soon joined them. "It will be ok, Ayaka. She will make a full recovery and everything that you cannot afford, I will pay off for you."  
  
As the doctor, Aki, and Taiyou comforted Ayaka, Riku walked over to Sora and sat next to him. The burning hatred had returned full force; it was visible in his eyes. But the emotion that Riku spotted the most was sadness. Sadness about Kairi being brought into his problem. Sadness at the mental scarring it will probably leave on the both of them...  
  
Sadness at the thought that he couldn't take back all the pain and suffering she just went through.   
  
Riku watched Sora slowly lift her hand up to his mouth and kiss it slowly. Her eyes began to flutter from the gentle touch, and she looked down to him. She immediately looked away, covering her face with her hands as best as she could with her broken arms and shifted her body away from Sora. He stood up confusingly, switching his look from Riku to Kairi. "Kairi, I--"  
  
"NO! GO AWAY!! YOU CAN'T..."  
  
She broke into a fit of tears, trying to curl herself into a small ball. "You c-can't see me...I d-don't want you to..."  
  
Everyone, including Dr. Miyazaki, immediately rushed to Kairi's bedside to make sure she didn't hurt herself. He looked behind him at Sora, who froze immediately at the pleas from his girlfriend. "Sora, maybe it's best that you leave the room until we calm Kairi down."  
  
Sora didn't even comprehend the words of his father. The look of fear on Kairi's face when she saw him had occupied his thoughts. Unconsciously, he took steps backwards before running out of the room. Riku ran after him without a second thought. Once again, he was faced with dodging the hordes of doctors and nurses, trying to the best of his ability to keep up with Sora. He saw a mass of cinnamon brown hair duck into the elevator and sprinted there before the elevator door could shut. Sora was frantic; he paced around in the small elevator while occasionally grabbing fistfuls of hair. Luckily, they were the only ones in there. "Sora..."  
  
"Don't say it, Riku!" he snapped with frustration. His sapphires eyes blazed with annoyance. "Do not say everything is going to be ok because it's not! That bastard made my OWN girlfriend afraid to see me!"  
  
Riku was silent, taking in Sora's proclamation. He was right for the most part. Even if Kairi heals physically, she still has the mental aspect. There's no doubt that she'll be having nightmares about this, and her relationship with Sora make get shaky as well. Taking a deep breath, Riku ran his hand through his hair. Why did this have to happen? One moment they were joking about Kairi's bad English, and the next...  
  
She's lying in a hospital bed, hiding her face from her boyfriend because she's too ashamed.  
  
"Things may not get better, Sora...but I'll be here to help you..." Riku muttered weakly.  
  
Sora ceased all pacing and glanced at Riku, a small smile appearing on his face despite his current situation. He walked to Riku and threw his arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. Riku - slightly put off by the hug - wrapped his arms around Sora's waist nevertheless. "Why couldn't I have a best friend like you in middle school?"  
  
Both boys laughed for the first time since the incident, each breaking off the hug reluctantly. "Does this mean that you'll help me with whatever I need?" Sora asked a little bit too enthusiastically for Riku's liking.  
  
A silver eyebrow rose in response as he looked at his best friend suspiciously. "What do you need me to help you with, Sora?"  
  
The elevators doors opened and the two boys headed out before the wave of doctors approaching them poured in. A rather large smile had appeared on his face, causing Riku to cock his head to the side questioningly. Sora turned around and motioned Riku to hurry before jogging off towards the parking lot. Riku hesitated going after him, but followed him anyway. There was something in Sora's smile that didn't reassure him at all. It displayed happiness, but it was the kind of happiness that scared him.  
  
It was a demonic happiness.   
  
As if inflicting some kind of pain would solve the problem.  
  
Riku shivered and continued to head to the parking lot.  
  
~Who knows what Sora is planning now...~  
  
^*^  
  
I know this is shorter than usual, but I have to study for my exams and do some other stuff. I told you guys that I would update at the end of the week so here I am. Besides, the good part is coming up and I didn't want to dive straight into it! ^_^ Anyways, review people! That's all I'm asking.  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	9. Trials and Tribulations 9

Author Notes: Sorry for the delay, but I've been really busy. Also, I made the chapter extra long since I have over 150 reviews! I have another story called Self Control and it's a humor/romance fic. So after you read this, go there and laugh!  
  
Clarification for Alec L. Jemini: Yes, she was raped.  
  
Clarification for Iniku: Actually, Kairi and Kado do have some connection. Back when Kairi's older brother was in high school, he was friends with Kado, therefore initiating the meeting between Kairi and Kado. More will be revealed in future chapters.  
  
Special Thanks To: Heather Christi, onlyHAUNTED, silvermoonstar-tenshi, myredraincoat, Ocean-eyed Songstress, camigirl4k3, Amara, Rinoki(Rio), Kairi099, fxxtidus899, Uzumaki-sama, Ariana (x2), Rock-Howard-17, GarnetTill13, Princess of Mirrors, Alec L. Jemini, Kyari, Twinklee, aer-seph4eva, emsdesire, CLOud, Crystalline Tears, chaos_heartless, inoaheartilly, White-Dragon-Goddess, J-X, KaoruFan, Chris, Junsui-san, Psykre, Lightdemondarkangel, Iniku, shadowsdancingdragon, and my Mediaminer reviewers: fake-wings, Mina Silverflute, Kendra, teaka, YaisaKitty, farrel-chan, nkauj cua and yamichaos!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...  
  
Reminder: "..............." Means talking (...............) Means author notes *..............* Means an action ~..............~ Means thinking '...............' Means past sayings ............. Means a place  
  
Trials and Tribulations Chapter Nine Part One  
  
Sora reached the parking lot, running directly towards Taiyou's car. Riku silently pondered what Sora was doing before jogging half-heartedly after him, periodically calling out Sora's name.  
  
It fell on deaf ears.  
  
Sora was too busy skimming through his 'flawless' plan, tweaking out all of the questionable areas. He couldn't wait to see the expression on Kado's face; the fright in his eyes, his mouth twisted into a soundless scream. Oh yes, Sora was going to make Kado pay, and since Riku said that he would help him - even though he didn't know what the plan is - he was going to use it to his advantage.  
  
Ah, he was a genius!  
  
Riku arrived, his face still holding suspicion. For someone whose girlfriend was just raped, he was acting unusually normal. Well, at least as normal as Sora could get. Sora walked towards the incoming boy, leaning in close, a thoughtful expression on his face. A silver eyebrow raised questioningly; curiosity filling him as he watched Sora. "Do you have a safety pin?"  
  
Sora could practically touch the disbelief leaking off of Riku. He practically laughed at the sight. "A safety pin?" the older boy repeated. "Well, I don't exactly carry those around, you know."  
  
After glaring at his best friend, Sora began to run back towards the building. "I'll be right back," he shouted over his shoulder as he picked up the pace and glanced at his watch.  
  
Riku watched the younger boy run back to the large hospital, shaking his head in amazement. ~What the hell is going through his mind?~  
  
He leaned against Taiyou's car and sighed. That smile was still etched in his mind, and the underlying message still frightened him immensely. He knew he wasn't exaggerating when it came to that smile. It was a smile that was both devious, demonic, and to plainly put it, flat out scary. His plan is probably going to be brutal, tortuous, agonizing...  
  
He could feel it.  
  
"I got it!"  
  
Sora's pace slowed as he came closer to Riku and Taiyou's car. The safety pin he thrust into the air triumphantly was bent out of shape, which was probably Sora's doing. Riku got off of Taiyou's car as Sora went to the drivers side of the car and stuck the safety pin inside. Riku was livid. "What the fuck are you doing to my boyfriend's car?" he hissed, stalking angrily over to Sora.  
  
Annoyed, Sora looked up. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm picking the lock to get in."  
  
A dry laugh. "You can't pick a lock!" Riku chuckled, rolling his eyes and placing a hand on his hip.  
  
Sora's eyes narrowed before he went back to his task, not even bothering to respond to Riku's comment. He twisted the pin several times in multiple directions. Riku watched with mild interest, starting to doubt the comment he made about Sora not being able to pick a lot. No one works with this much determination if they don't know what they are doing, right?  
  
*Click*  
  
Sora stood up straight and opened the driver's seat door. He stepped aside and motioned the shocked Riku to get in. With his mouth agape, Riku climbed in, a look of disbelief still imprinted on his face. Sora shut the door after him and climbed in on the other side. Taking a moment to look at Riku, his mouth curved into a smirk almost identical to Riku's, and he stated, "I can pick a lock."  
  
That seemed to snap Riku out of his dazed stupor. Thousands, perhaps millions, of questions flooded into his head, drowning him in thoughts of the limitless possibilities of Sora. Who taught Sora that? Did he use it? Did Kairi know? "Where did you learn to do that?!" Riku exclaimed, deciding to voice his thoughts. "A-and did you actually..."  
  
He drifted off, deciding to get off the subject of Sora's past despite his burning desire to know. ~There's too much to deal with to bring that up...~  
  
"No, I didn't steal cars if that is what you wanted to ask," Sora replied while waving his hand nonchalantly. "Seifer taught me a long time ago when he was trying to get into his parent's car."  
  
Sora laughed at the memory before falling silent and looking at Riku, his expression once again serious. "I'll tell you more later, but right now we  
  
have a plan to fulfill."  
  
He leaned towards the ignition, stuck the pin in, and worked at it, speaking no more. Riku's eyes widened in recognition as he watched Sora. ~There it was again! His eyes glazed over in a sad reminisce...~  
  
Riku crossed his arms, thinking about what all this could mean. It could possibly mean that Sora was raped, and that is why the younger boy is so eager to seek revenge. However, no one deserves what Kairi went through, and that is a good enough reason to just get furious without having a past experience linked to it. Sighing, Riku raked his fingers through his hair, tired and confused from this complex situation. ~If none of this ever happened...~  
  
The engine roared to life, and Sora sat back, admiring his work. "Alright, let's go to Party Warehouse."  
  
Riku glanced over to him briefly before settling his gaze in front of him. He shifted the gear into drive and steadily made his way out of the parking lot, laying every ounce of attention on Sora's plan.  
  
^*^  
  
Riku and Sora had reached Party Warehouse within twenty minutes, in which during that time, Sora explained most of his plan. To his surprise and relief, Riku didn't find the plan to be as tortuous and agonizing as he thought it would be - at least the part of the plan that he was actually told. Sora explained his plan in great detail about what was going to take place until he reached the point where he actually confronts Kado. At that very moment, Sora paused, that same demonic smile adorning his features as he only touched the surface of what he would do when he met Kado. It was at that point that Riku didn't have a clue of what was going to happen. That mere lack of knowledge scared him to no end.  
  
"So Sora, what are you going to be doing while I'm away?" he asked hesitantly while parking the car, Sora's demonic smile automatically appearing in his mind.  
  
Sora looked to Riku - since he was gazing out of the window - and smiled at him slyly. "Don't worry about it, Riku. I got it covered."  
  
That was what he feared the most. Sora covering up his real scheme with a not-so-bad plan. It's probably what he's doing right now...  
  
"Don't worry, eh? Well, you're asking a lot there, Sora."  
  
Waving his hand in dismissal, Sora opened the car door and headed inside. Riku sighed, following the younger boy with his gaze. Due to the new situations, Riku's thoughts continued to become more and more jumbled. At first, he was just trying to sort his feelings for Sora and Taiyou. Now, he's trying to figure out a way to help Sora and Kairi's relationship, figure out a way to help his OWN relationship with Taiyou, and Sora's past. There was something that happened in Sora's past, and it caused Sora to act this way. Back in the basement of Kairi's house, he looked upon things with eyes glazed in sad reminiscence - even if it was for a split second. That same glazed over look appeared when he mentioned Seifer. In order for Sora to get through this, he has to confront his past.  
  
Riku was going to try to figure it out after the plan.  
  
"Are you coming, Riku?"  
  
Blinking twice, the silver-haired boy shook his head 'no'. "I'll wait for you here."  
  
Sora shrugged in response and disappeared in the store. The large warehouse was packed with costumes galore, streamers and party favors hanging randomly off the ceilings. At the entrance, the immediate right, laid the customer service. A middle-aged man with spiky blond hair and a cigarette in his mouth looked to the door, a bored expression on his face. As soon as he spotted Sora, his face lit up with surprise and happiness. He opened the white swinging door in front of him. "Sora, my boy!"  
  
The blond brought the brunette into a bear hug, rubbing his knuckles playfully in the mass of brown spikes. Sora flashed a weak grin. "Hi Uncle Cid."  
  
Cid immediately dropped Sora, frowning at him while taking a long puff of his cigarette. "What's the matta wit ya, kid?" he said while exhaling the gray smoke. "You look like ya just saw ya dog get hit by a car, and his guts went flyin' everywhere!"  
  
Despite that morbid analogy, Sora couldn't help but let out a chuckle as he straightened out his clothes. "I always love your way with words, Uncle Cid, but I have no time to admire that. I need your help."  
  
Sora discussed the situation and the details of his plan. Since this isn't exactly a good plan, he wondered how Cid was actually going to react to this. Knowing his uncle though, he was sure that Cid would help...  
  
"Aww, that's terrible, kid. I'm glad you're teachin' that little fuck a lesson! Go ahead, roam the store and find whatever you need."  
  
Sora punched the palm of his hand enthusiastically while walking backwards to the aisles. "Thanks Uncle Cid! I'll pay you when I get some more money!"  
  
"Don't bother paying, it's on me. And stop callin' me uncle, damnit!! It makes me sound old!!"  
  
Sora laughed loudly before completely disappearing into the costume-filled hallways. With him being here several times before, the boy came to know the aisles like the back of his hand. As if by second nature, Sora turned to the right, then immediately afterward, turned to the left. Hundreds and hundreds of wigs and outfits lined the shelves, ranging from fantasy genres to action/adventure. Sora jogged down the hallway, expertly looking from side to side to find what he was looking for. Reaching the hair dye section, Sora grabbed some midnight black and light brown dye. Directly across from the hair dye was the outfits. Sora quickly spotted a black cloak and a police outfit, yanked them off the shelf, then moved on to the shoes.  
  
"Hey CID!!" Sora yelled, knowing that his uncle would hear him. "You got some contacts?!"  
  
"HELL YEA, KID! WHO DO YOU THINK WE ARE, THAT CHEAP ASS STORE DOWN THE STREET?!"  
  
Sora laughed at the comment as he picked up a pair of black combat boots with a large heel. "Get me amethyst and icy blue!!"  
  
Even though there was no response back, Sora was certain that Cid heard him, so he gathered all his stuff and headed back to the front of the warehouse. Cid was waiting with a small bag in his hands, which Sora assumed to be the contacts. Grabbing the bag out of his hands, Sora waved goodbye and headed back to the car. From what he could see, Riku was reclined back in his seat, leaning against arms that were crossed behind his head and eyes gently closed.  
  
This was the first time he saw Riku resting so peacefully, and that strange feeling from his first day of school came pooling into his stomach. Sora frowned as the feeling filled him. He shouldn't be feeling this or anything at all. The fact of the matter is that he was with Kairi, and Riku was with Taiyou. Kairi opened her heart in front of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people and to feel this way for another guy was wrong...right?  
  
"Are you ready to go?"  
  
Sora watched as Riku sleepily rubbed his eyes and let out a yawn, stretching his arms out at the same time. Sora couldn't help but notice how insanely cute this gesture was. He let out a growl mentally. ~I have to ignore this kind of stuff...~  
  
"Yea," Sora replied weakly. He sighed as he covered his face with his hands. "Let's go."  
  
"Ok. I'm taking you back to the hospital."  
  
Sora's head snapped up, his eyes narrowing and his breath beginning an irregular pace. "No. We can't."  
  
Riku started the car before looking to Sora. "You need to see Kairi and talk to her. Stop avoiding it."  
  
Stepping on the gas, Riku zoomed out of the vast parking lot and onto a small street as a shortcut to the hospital. Sora glared at him fiercely. "If I remember correctly, she was the one who didn't want to see me."  
  
Riku winced slightly at the iciness in Sora's tone, but his answer was given back with just as much ferocity. "And you need to fix that before your relationship with her collapses."  
  
"Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't do, Riku!" he yelled, reaching for the steering wheel in a blind rage. "I told you I got it covered!"  
  
Riku kept one hand on the steering wheel while using the other hand to fend off Sora's fumbling one. "What the hell is your problem?!" he snarled, throwing Sora a death glare while trying to keep his eyes on the road. "You probably don't know what you're going to do. You looked like a deer in headlights when the doctor asked you to leave the room!"  
  
Sora growled and yanked the Riku's hands off the steering wheel completely. He pulled to the side of the road, forcing Riku to slam on the brakes to avoid a parked car. "Fuck you, Riku. You don't know what I'm going to do about Kairi."  
  
Unlocking the door, Sora attempted to get out only to be stopped by Riku's arm pulling the door shut and his other arm resting on the lock/unlock button. "Only because you didn't tell me. Why won't you tell me, Sora?"  
  
"Because I don't...want to trust you."  
  
Riku was slightly taken aback at the comment, but nevertheless stayed quiet, waiting for him to continue.  
  
"That is what my family was built on. Trust. The most important characteristic that someone can have is trustworthiness. I grew up on those beliefs; that if someone had that quality, then they're the people you should be around; befriend. Kairi was that person back in elementary school. My secrets were always safe with her, and I knew that for as long as we were best friends - which back then I thought would be forever - she would keep my secrets. She was like my safe, storing all the things that I couldn't leave in the open. It was that characteristic that drew me so close to her."  
  
Sora paused, stopping all struggling and letting out a deep sigh. "Then came middle school. The time where everything in my life went from good to bad. Kairi went to a summer camp for cheerleading and I went to a baseball camp. We didn't see each other until the first day of middle school. I had gotten slightly taller, but that was pretty much it. For Kairi, she had completely changed. She came back taller, more developed, braces off, and contacts in. Skimpier outfits and designer accessories added to the makeover. She was a different person, not the wear-whatever- was-comfortable girl I knew in elementary. On that day, my trust was broken for the first time. We promised each other to be together forever no matter what, and she broke that promise for her reputation."  
  
"I was heartbroken, to say the least. I was naive and didn't understand the 'groups' of middle school. Sixth grade past and seventh grade came, Kairi growing even more popular while I remained alone. Until I met Irvine. He was the first person who actually cared about me and I instantly recognized the same trustworthiness I saw in Kairi. Like a moth to a flame, I was drawn to his group, this group of eight graders who so graciously decided to take me under their wing. I admired them, and they ended up shattering what was left of my trust once more. Ever since that time, I worked so hard to shut myself up and keep private, letting people only see the surface. Then you came."  
  
Riku opened his mouth to say something, but Sora rested a single finger on his lips to silence him. A small sad smile appeared on his face as he stared deep into Riku's sea green eyes. His voice dropped to a whisper. "The walls I carefully constructed were tore down by you with such ease and I still don't know how or why. I want to tell you everything, but I can't do that again, Riku. I can't set myself up again because I don't know if I'd have the strength to pick up the pieces again."  
  
Grabbing the finger that rested on his lips, Riku pulled it toward him to bring Sora into an embrace. He put his mouth to Sora's ear and whispered as Sora had. "When I said that I'd be the shoulder you cry on, I meant every word. I'm not going to build up your trust then knock it right back down."  
  
He felt nails digging into his back, but he ignored the feeling. "I have a characteristic that I grew up believing in too and that is loyalty. I will be there for you through thick and thin, as long as it doesn't involve murder or drugs."  
  
Riku heard a muffled laugh and felt slight trembling as he shifted his weight to get a good look at Sora. The younger boy was on the verge of tears, but a weak smile adorned his face as he wiped the tears gathering on the corners of his eyes. "And to think," the younger boy began, looking up at Riku, "I wanted to pick up a bag tonight."  
  
Riku blinked twice just out of pure shock, but as soon as he heard Sora burst into laughter, he couldn't help but laugh himself. Sora's laugh, after all, was contagious. The two boys leaned against each other, still laughing, the events to come not even grazing their minds.  
  
^*^  
  
"Kairi, we're all here. No one is going to hurt you in any way, shape, or form."  
  
Taiyou rubbed the back of the trembling bundle in smooth, slow strokes while hugging her the best he could. Kairi had been this way ever since Sora ran out of the room, claiming that she wasn't good enough for Sora anymore. She wasn't the only one who felt the effects of that intense moment. The outburst from Kairi had shaken everyone up, and once again, Kairi's mother had fainted from the heartbreaking sight. Aki's carefully sculpted emotionless mask had broken the moment he laid eyes on his sobbing sister, and his tears haven't stopped from that moment. Since Sora and Riku left, everyone's condition has steadily become worse than they were before. Even Dr. Miyazaki was slightly stumbling under the heavy burden placed upon his heart.  
  
It was evident by the numerous cups of coffee he kept drinking.  
  
To an outsider's view, it seemed as if Taiyou was the only one coping. Truth be told, he was taking this as hard - if not harder - than everyone else. Kairi was like a little sister to him. Kado had taken this way too far, and a fight with an underclassman shouldn't have sparked such a violent and unnecessary act.  
  
There was no excuse.  
  
"T-Taiyou...?"  
  
Taiyou looked down, immediately, gently brushing some of Kairi's sweat- covered strands out of her face. The calling of his name sparked everyone's attention, and the room grew deathly silent as everyone focused their undivided attention to Kairi. "Yes, Kairi?"  
  
"S-sora hates me now, doesn't he? H-he was r-right. S-sora doesn't like damaged goods! [1]"  
  
It was as if the gates of hell opened right in front of their eyes, unveiling never-before-seen horrors; that statement sent everyone over the edge. Most were split between whether to kill or cry for all the suffering this poor girl had to go through. Taiyou never felt so angry in his life, and the rage he felt was only the surface of what he really was feeling. He wanted to see Kado tortured in many ways. Killing him quickly wasn't an option. "He will never hate you, Kairi," he answered, his voice wavering due to his ignited rage and sadness. "Don't believe anything Kado says."  
  
He firmly planted a kiss on her temple as he scanned the room to see the reaction of the others. Aki's tears stopped all together, and he stared blankly ahead of him like his soul had been ripped from the very core of his body. Dr. Miyazaki shook his head in sadness while gathering Mrs. Tatewaki into his arms.  
  
Her sobbing caused her knees to buckle.  
  
Taiyou let out a deep sigh and continued to rub Kairi's back, while looking out the window that lay to his right. Where Sora and Riku went, he didn't know, but he prayed that everything would come out the best it could. How was this situation going to be solved? Will Kado pay for what he did? Will Sora and Kairi's relationship bridge the newly-formed gap? For the first time in a long time, Taiyou didn't know. He didn't know the answer to anything, and because of this he felt helpless, weak, and pitiful. ~If the only thing I can do it comfort Kairi, then that is what I will do with the best of my ability.~  
  
^*^  
  
[1] If you didn't read the unedited version of chapter seven, that is what this statement is referring to. Kado said, "Let's see if Sora wants damaged goods."  
  
^*^  
  
Trials and Tribulations Chapter Nine Part Two  
  
His heart was pounding. Sweat veiled his face in a thin sheen as his breath increased drastically and his legs became filled with lead. All this was the cause of him walking towards the last place he wanted to be. The hospital.  
  
It took every ounce of strength, courage, and determination to keep himself from running away from that building with his tail between his legs - not that he could go anyway because Riku had a firm grip on his wrist. The mere thought of going back in that room to see Kairi trembling on the hospital bed, screaming that he couldn't see her was heart-wrenching and hope-shattering. If Kado hadn't beaten him up when he accidentally ran into him, none of this would have ever happened. Riku and Sora would have never kissed, which in turn, scrambled their thoughts, and Kairi would have kept her popular status and never gotten involved...  
  
So many things wouldn't have happened, and everyone would be peaceful.  
  
"Is it just me or are you gaining weight each time we take a step closer to this building?"  
  
Warily, Sora looked at Riku, who was smirking as he continued to drag Sora forward. The smirk soon turned into a serious expression. "I know this is hard for you, Sora, but it's not going to go away if you leave it alone."  
  
Sora only glared at him in response to the statement as he dredged forward through the hospital doors. The receptionist at the front desk recognized them instantly, and she only acknowledged their presence with a nod and a small smile. Both of them returned the smile to be polite.  
  
Making their way up to room 211, Sora started to feel the effects of the situation full-force. It made him sick to his stomach that Kairi had to be dragged into this, especially when the fight wasn't all that serious. If Kado had gotten angry about being in trouble from the fight, he  
  
should have confronted him directly, not taken it out on someone who has nothing to do with the fight. It was cowardly, shameful, and degrading.  
  
Riku felt even more resistance as the pair of boys got closer to Kairi's room. He turned around and spotted immense fear with a blend of anger in Sora's eyes. Even though Riku said that he would be there to comfort Sora whenever he needed him, in a way, he felt helpless to do anything. This was a situation that had to be healed more mentally than physically, and only the person experiencing the mental pain can help themselves. It was as if he was standing on a dock, watching his friend drown in his own misery because he's in too much pain to try to get out and there was nothing he could do about it. What are you suppose to do in that type of situation? The thought of watching two of his friends get killed off slowly on the inside at the same time was unbelievable.  
  
The room was now in front of them, but no one made the effort to go inside. For Sora, walking inside would be committing himself to solve a problem he had no control over, and for Riku, walking inside would mean he would have to watch that slow process of mental murder, not being able to do anything about it. Riku knew that going in that hospital room was inevitable, so he turned about and entwined his fingers with Sora's, giving them a reassuring squeeze. The color had once again drained completely out of Sora's face, giving him an eerie, pale, ghostly look that  
  
sent shudders down Riku's spine. His sapphire eyes dimmed down greatly, and his muscles tensed. The reassuring squeeze did nothing but direct Sora's attention to Riku. "Are you ready?" Riku asked as he reached for the doorknob.  
  
Breathing in deep and closing his eyes for a split second, Sora nodded in response, repeating Riku's words over and over in his head like a mantra.  
  
'It's not going to go away if you leave it alone. It's not going to go away if you leave it alone.'  
  
Riku twisted the knob and opened the door fully, looking about before stepping into the room. If the mood wasn't dark and dismal before, it was now seeing the faces of everyone in the room. Aki was a stone, blandly looking out the window and showing no reaction to anything; a much different quality to the happy college student he saw earlier. Ayaka was sitting in a chair near the bed with her head rested against her hand and her eyes closed. Both of their faces were drawn, their slightly rosy cheeks stained with dried tears. Taiyou was actually on the bed holding Kairi, who was but a still bundle laying against his chest. His shoulder length light brown hair was disheveled to say the least and his amber eyes dulled down from the last time he saw him. Taiyou turned around and looked at the entwined fingers of Riku and Sora before looking back up at Riku. Riku could tell that Taiyou was tired, and he motioned Taiyou to come to him. Releasing his hand from Sora's, he placed the same hand on Sora's back and nudged him forward as he walked. Taiyou was in the process of untangling himself from the awkward position Kairi put him in and in a matter of minutes he was by Riku's side, waiting for Sora to step forward. Hesitantly, the younger boy began to inch his way forward toward the bed, climbing onto it as softly as possible. He held Kairi to his chest and looked down. She was already awakening from her semi-peaceful slumber, causing his nerves to set on fire. Her sleepy lavender [2] eyes met his frightened sapphire eyes and for a moment, they just stared at each other, unable to say or do anything.  
  
As if testing the waters, Sora lifted his hand and brushed it lightly across her cheek. She closed her eyes instantly at the soft touch, then recoiled back as if the touch was forbidden. "N-No, Kairi," Sora pleaded softly as he tightened their embrace. "P-Please don't shut me out. P- Please..."  
  
Her eyes shot open as she felt the body she was crushed against start trembling, yet there was no wetness on her gown. "R-Remember when we were kids, and I was Sora the Monster Slayer and you were Kairi, Treasure Huntress Extraordinaire? I would kill all the bad monsters, and you would collect the treasure?"  
  
Tears glistened in Kairi's eyes as she remembered the memories of her childhood with Sora. They were inseparable, never to be separated by anyone or anything. It was true, Sora the Monster Slayer and Kairi, Treasure Huntress Extraordinaire would always row to their island, making up adventures and new treasures to find. If there were any monsters in the area, you could always count on Sora to slay the evil monster. And if there was any treasure, you could always count on Kairi to find it. Sora's embrace tightened reassuringly around her. "We could do that now, Kairi. Just you and me; I'll get rid of all the bad monsters, and you can collect the treasure."  
  
"Sora, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry!"  
  
Kairi dug her face into Sora's shoulder, new tears spilling off her cheeks. He only held her more in response, his own tears dampening her gown.  
  
Riku inhaled deeply and turned around to wait outside. Taiyou followed him, and together they walked to the small waiting area a couple of rooms down. Plopping on the nearby couch, Riku wasted no time lying down and covering his face with his hands. Taiyou walked in front of Riku and kneeled down, stroking his hair idly as he watched his boyfriend rest. Riku uncovered his face and brought Taiyou into a hug, replaying the intense moments shared between Sora and Kairi. "No one deserves this, Taiyou. No one."  
  
Taiyou kissed Riku on the forehead and the temple before leaning into Riku's hair. "I know, Riku, came his muffled response, I know."  
  
~Midnight~  
  
"Contacts?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"Hair?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"Outfit?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"Rope?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"And...handcuffs?"  
  
"Check."  
  
"How do I look?"  
  
Indeed, Sora did look like a completely different person. With the amethyst contacts and his straightened, dyed black hair, he looked like the stalker he was trying to be. The six inch heeled boots made him look like a grown man, and the black cloak hide everything except the last two inches of each boot. Slim black gloves - courtesy of Riku - covered his hands and a little of his mother's concealer made him look slightly darker than he usually is. Riku still couldn't get over the hair. With it straightened, his hair reached the top of his shoulder blades, which is quite long considering they were originally in spikes. ~How was his hair going to go back to spikes anyway...?~  
  
"My hair can never stay straightened for a long time," Sora responded with ease to Riku's nonverbal question. "My hair will be spiky again within the week."  
  
Riku shrugged as he fixed the police uniform he wore, complete with badges and a plastic gun. The fact that he dyed his hair light brown and put in icy blue contacts says how far he'll go for Sora. To him, this was pretty far. "You look good, Riku."  
  
Riku looked up and caught Sora scanning over his body. "You look like a true police officer."  
  
Smirking, Riku tipped his hat to the side, then saluted, causing both of them to laugh shortly. He checked his watch and walked to Sora's window. Expertly climbing out, Riku slid down the nearby tree and ran to the car, motioning Sora to come down. Sora held up his finger to request that he held on for a few minutes while he checked over the final details. Kado got the letter for sure since he and Riku watched Kado read it, and everything else was pretty much flawless. He was missing only one more thing. Getting on all fours, Sora lifted the flap of his comforter up and grabbed a small box under his bed. He lifted the cover to reveal a sharpened butcher knife in its sheath. Grabbing the knife, he stuck it in one of the many deep pockets the cloak had and climbed out the window, sprinting to the car, and getting inside. Riku drove off to their destination: an alley behind Destiny Island's bookstore.  
  
"You never did tell me what you were actually going to do while I play watchdog," Riku said smoothly, keeping his eyes on the road.  
  
Sora looked to Riku and flashed him a demonic version of his trademark smile. "Don't worry, Riku. I got it covered."  
  
Riku only shook his head, initiating another period of silence. The alley wasn't that far away, and within the ten minutes that they left, they arrived. Riku parked the car along the side of the road, and both of them got out; Sora began straightening his cloak. He practiced walking in the boots ahead of time so that he wouldn't trip and make a fool of himself, so he stepped forward with confidence and pride. The sky was pitch black and very few stars were out to dot the blanket of darkness. One streetlight was on about one and a half blocks away, giving some light to the empty street, but not much. Sora could see that Kado was already there, pacing back and forth as if he were preparing himself for a fight.  
  
That's not really what he should be preparing himself for.  
  
Riku ran directly to his hiding spot while Sora wasted no time and ran to his unsuspecting victim, bringing the rope smoothly from his cloak pocket and wrapping it around the wrist of the upperclassman. Kado let out a surprise shriek as he fell to the ground, automatically struggling to get free from the bounds that held his arms together. Sora tied the knot on his wrist tight, then threw the rest of the rope up through a fire escape above, grabbing it and yanking downward. Kado let out a pained cry as he was lifted only a few feet above the ground. Riku secretly grabbed the remaining rope and tied it down to a pole near the side of the bookstore. Moving back into his hiding place, Riku watched the unknown part of Sora's plan unfold.  
  
Sora cleared his throat and prepared to change the tone. It was a little known fact, but Sora loved making imitations, thus, improving many different dialects. He had been practicing this afternoon to get back in the swing, and he came up with the perfect tone for this 'character.' "Perhaps the most ludicrous thing you have ever done in your entire pathetic excuse for a life, Kado, is mess with the Tatewaki family," Sora stated in a voice that was cool, calm, and slightly deeper than his own.  
  
Kado struggled to get loose, his fear evident by the constant swaying of his hanging body. "I-I don't know what you're talking about!"  
  
Sora whipped out the butcher knife and held it to Kado's throat, smiling eerily as he watched the blade pierce the skin. "If you want to live, then I suggest you don't act like a damned fool!"  
  
Whimpering, Kado tried to stay deathly still to avoid the knife from piercing his skin any further. Sora took his silence as response to the threat and removed some of the pressure on Kado's neck. Using the hand that was free, Sora pulled out some handcuffs and snapped them on Kado's ankles just in case he got the idea to kick. He moved the knife to one of Kado's arms; his gaze still locked on Kado. "Why did you sexually assault Kairi Tatewaki?"  
  
Kado hadn't even heard the question, too wrapped up in his fear to say anything except the question that came tumbling out of his mouth unexpectedly: "Where is Sora?"  
  
Sora sliced one of his arms swiftly, a thin line of blood to emerging from the deep, excruciating cut. Bringing the bloodied knife back to the neck of the boy whose mouth was twisted into a soundless scream, Sora glared at him hatefully. "You are in no position to ask foolish questions, boy. I could have killed you already, but I made the decision not to, so I suggest you not irritate me further."  
  
Silence was his only response, and he smirked before a serious expression adorned his face. "Now I will repeat the question for this one time: Why did you sexually assault Kairi Tatewaki?"  
  
"B-Because she's Sora's girlfriend and I wanted to hurt him since he hurt me."  
  
It took every last shred of his sanity to not slice this boy in two. Eyes flashing with a silent rage he questioned, "He hurt you? And just how, pray tell, did he hurt you?"  
  
"He turned my father against me!"  
  
Sora was no longer paying attention as he brought the butcher knife to Kado's other arm and slicing as he did the first one. Kado threw his head back in pain with teeth clenched in order to silence himself. He didn't dare scream for fear of his life. All his muscles tensed before they went limp; tired from the hanging and the excruciating pain he felt. Sora felt the tension and almost laughed.  
  
He was loving every second of this.  
  
Trailing the knife down Kado's body, Sora quickly ripped the button off Kado's jeans and unzipped his zipper slowly but surely. He heard a choked gasp above him and chuckled at the sound coming from the upperclassman. "Don't worry, boys intrigue me, but I rather fuck the devil than fuck you. Well, in this case, I'd be fucking myself if I fucked the devil."  
  
Sora threw his head back and laughed, but not so loud that it would actually cause attention. He felt Kado trembling under his touch, but he was far from caring. He reached into the older boy's boxers and pulled out his member, placing the knife at the base of it. He brought the knife back and forth-gently enough as to not draw blood, ripping a strangled cry from Kado.  
  
"Hello? Is anybody down here?"  
  
Sora cursed silently before he jabbed the key into the shackles around Kado's ankles and released the cuffs. He then pulled the knife away from him and used it to cut the rope, causing Kado to fall harshly to the ground. Grabbing him by the collar, he stated, "I suggest you run, and if you speak of this to anyone, I will find you and I will kill you. That's not a threat, it's a promise."  
  
Kado scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as he could, Sora watching him disappear into the dark of the night. He turned around and headed back to the car and dropped the bloodied knife back into the pocket in his cloak. He would deal with it later.  
  
Riku came from around the corner, eyeing Sora suspiciously as he too headed to the car. "What did you do, Sora? It was way too dark to see anything from where I was, and all I heard was you guys talking."  
  
Sora got in the car and flashed Riku his trademark smile. "Don't worry about it, Riku. I covered it."  
  
^*^  
  
Finished! Long, long chapter for you people, so review! Constructive criticism welcome.  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	10. Trials and Tribulations 10

Author Notes: *scans reviews* Where is Sora/Riku lovin'? When are Sora and Riku getting together? It's all the same. You guys have been pleading and begging for some Riku/Sora lovin' and this is the moment...you have not been waiting for. Sorry guys, there is no Sora/Riku lovin' but there is Sora/Riku LIKIN'! Hope you're not too mad, but I do promise lots of it in chapter 11! Now, without further ado, Trials and Tribulations Chapter 10!!  
  
You can now access the unedited versions of any chapter at this website:  
  
http://www.geocities.com/mercurygoddess2001/heartsfanfiction.html  
  
Special Thanks To: Junsui-san, Angel-White-Wings, Raven's Light, kawaiidark, Ariana, onlyHAUNTED, myredraincoat, shadowsdancingdragon, Rinoki Rio, Crystalline Tears, Kyari, Ocean-Eyed Songtress, Sora Otaku, KaoruFan, Uzumaki-sama, CLOud, diamond_kat06, Twinstar1, Kairi099, SP, ouyukie_cookie, Xytrustion, rikusbadgirl06@fanfiction.net, angelicattie, Colin Creevy, Mel, sorariku, CREA_NAMCO, and my Mediaminer reviewers Child of the Strata, yamichaos and inoccent_asassin!  
  
Thank You Crystalline Tears For Your Wonderful Beta Work!!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
*..............* Means an action  
  
~..............~ Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
Trials and Tribulations   
  
Chapter Ten  
  
"Hey didja hear, Nami? Kado transferred to another school because he has a stalker!"  
  
"That's bullshit, Jiro! Nobody would want to stalk that asshole."  
  
It's been two weeks since Kairi's accident, and it was lunchtime at Kado High School. Sora, Riku, Nami, Jiro, Sakura, Garnet, and Taiyou were gathered around a small table in the courtyard, discussing the latest news that's been spreading across the school. The latest news: Kado's sudden leave.  
  
"You're right, but still! It must have been something serious if he transferred to City Isle AND his father turned in a letter of resignation."  
  
Riku lay back in his seat, throwing a small glare at Sora. There was something Sora did that night, something so horrible that Sora wouldn't even reveal what he did, and if it made Kado transfer to a faraway island and make his father resign then it must have been something pretty brutal. All Riku heard that night was muffled cries and a little bit of what Sora was telling Kado. There was one phrase that stuck out in his mind the most:  
  
'Don't worry, boys intrigue me, but I rather fuck the devil than fuck you. Well, in this case, I'd be fucking myself if I fucked the devil.'  
  
What made Sora say that? Was it one of the methods used to scare Kado that made him say such a thing? Whatever it was, it scared Kado to the point of moving away, and Riku's curiosity was eating away at him slowly ever since that night. He chose not to ask or even bring up the situation, because helping Kairi was more important.   
  
While Kairi is successfully healing, externally, due to physical therapy, she has also become much more open with her feelings around Sora. Right now, there's nothing really else to solve except this.  
  
"Without a doubt, it was something huge. I guarantee it."  
  
Everyone turned to Sora, who had his head propped up on his hands and a silly grin on his face. He straightened up, the grin still on his face, and winked at Jiro. "Whatever the bastard got, he deserved, so I don't feel sorry for him in the least."  
  
"You make it seem like you know exactly what happened," Taiyou interjected, crossing his arms and frowning, "Exactly."  
  
Sora only threw him a glance before he turned back to Jiro. He opened his mouth to speak, but Taiyou obviously wasn't finished: "Why the cocky attitude? Kairi is still in the hospital, and even though she is physically getting better, there is still the mental aspect. Kado being out of this school isn't the most important thing; Kairi is, Sora."  
  
The carefree, gossip-filled atmosphere was now overrun with tension as each person watched Taiyou in silent shock. His face was etched with a frown, brows furrowed, and breath irregular. He almost seemed angry at Sora; the way he said Sora's name was a clear indication of that. The mere fact alone was shocking. Sora had been at the hospital day and night for the past two weeks, and only yesterday did he break his habit for his own health. Sora did everything; talking, listening, joking, even playing with Kairi to make her stay at the hospital as comfortable as possible. Everyone knew the sacrifices he made to make sure Kairi felt safe and secure. So why would Taiyou say something like that?  
  
"I know what is important, Taiyou," Sora snapped, a thin angry line now replacing his once mischievous smile, "but if a threat is near one who is most important to you, you need to deal with it as soon as possible."  
  
Riku watched as Taiyou's fist clenched and unclenched repeatedly before shifting his gaze to his boyfriend's face. Even after all these years, he still knew the look of pure, unprecedented rage, and there was no reason for it - that he could come with anyways. "Taiyou..." he whispered as he grabbed the clenching fist.   
  
Taiyou only looked his way for a brief moment before directing his angry gaze back to Sora. Nami swung her long braid over her shoulder, her facial features twisted in a look of disgusted incredulity. "How could you doubt Sora like that?! His girlfriend was raped, and here you are questioning his priorities when he had made a lot more sacrifices than us for her."  
  
Sakura, who had been quiet all the way through, nodded in agreement. "We have been friends with her for a long time, Taiyou, but no one at this point is closer to Kairi than Sora, even after the incident."  
  
"You guys don't even know what I'm talking about," Taiyou said in his own defense. "I'm not saying he didn't make any sacrifices or anything like that."  
  
He ended the conversation there. Nami, Sakura, Jiro, nor Garnet knew the real in-depth details because Kairi wanted to keep it secret, so he certainly wasn't going to try to explain his reasoning to any of them. If they took his comment in the wrong context, that wasn't his problem.  
  
Garnet watched Taiyou and the emotional stages that he seem to go   
  
through: anger, annoyance, frustration, fear. She had noticed his change in attitude about Sora, and she didn't know why. All she could was wait until this intricate web of emotions had been unraveled.  
  
For a while, no one did anything, but watch each other, all of them thinking of their own reasons as to why this was happening. It wasn't until Taiyou broke the thick silence by balling up the plastic lunch tray and gathering his books that anyone did anything.   
  
Riku stood up and placed a hand on Taiyou's shoulder, only to have it shrugged off. He stepped back and watched the flustered boy rake his hand through his shoulder length light brown hair and glance at everyone with fierce amber eyes. "You guys just don't give a damn, do you?" he whispered fiercely, locking his gaze with Sora's.  
  
With that, he turned around and headed to his next class, the bell ringing loudly above him. Sora stood up abruptly, ready to set Taiyou straight, but Riku stopped him by holding his arm out and looked at the retreating figure that is his boyfriend. He shook his head once and then headed after Taiyou; everyone knew that it was best to stay behind.  
  
Taiyou's locker  
  
*SLAM*  
  
Taiyou slammed the locker shut, burning anger rising to its boiling point. He had never felt so angry in his life and the reason for it: Sora. Sora did everything the perfect boyfriend was supposed to do when his girlfriend was in a crisis, but that wasn't the reason for his anger. When Sora wasn't with Kairi, he was with Riku! That day when Sora ran out the room and Riku went to get him, they did something that lasted for a couple of hours AND they did something at night. When he asked Riku about it, all he got was 'we talked' or 'it was nothing really'. It pissed him off to no end to watch HIS boyfriend interact with some GUY who kept giving him these looks and requiring his attention all the time. ~Call it jealously, but Riku is MINE!~  
  
"What's wrong and don't say nothing because you know what I'll say."  
  
The blunt statement could be from no one other than Riku, so Taiyou turned around and leaned his head against the locker, letting out a deep sigh. "Fine. I'm angry."  
  
"I didn't notice," Riku replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes heavenward then back on Taiyou. "I thought you were happy."  
  
Chuckling to himself, Taiyou pushed off of the locker and starting walking to class. "You know I don't like sarcastic remarks," he said teasingly, looking to Riku.   
  
"And you know I don't like it when you try to hide your obvious anger," Riku responded, but in a serious tone.  
  
Taiyou stopped in the middle of the hallway, his eyes narrowing, and muscles tensing. "You're the one to talk about hiding things, Riku."  
  
His voice seemed on the edge, and that immediately gained Riku's full attention. He felt anger rising within himself but declined to show any of it. "What do you mean?"  
  
"You know exactly what I mean. You and Sora are going off to different places, not telling anyone where you're going or what you're doing. I know you guys had something to do with Kado's sudden transfer, and I want to know what you did."  
  
Riku let out a dry laugh. "Taiyou Quen, are you jealous of me and Sora's relationship?"  
  
Silence.  
  
"Ha! I can't believe you are. Sora and I are just friends, and he's going through a rough time right now. Just relax."  
  
After planting a small kiss on Taiyou's cheek, Riku turned around and walked away, shaking his head and laughing. Taiyou just stood in his place while watching Riku disappear around corner. ~What are you hiding from me, Riku?~  
  
After School - Hospital  
  
Sora leaned back into the comfortable hospital chair provided from the staff and watched Kairi slowly make her way across the room to him. The surgery was successful, and even though Kairi was in a lot of pain, she was determined to walk normally again. Her strength and courage was unbelievable, and many of the nurses and doctors in the hospital were rooting her on because of it. Her arms were just about healed and the bruises were gone as well, but the nightmares and flashbacks were still there. Doctor Miyazaki made it clear that she might develop Post Traumatic   
  
Stress Disorder due to her rape, so family, friends, and even some of the staff at the hospital are pitching in to make sure she feels as comfortable as possible. "S-Sora!! I'm doing it!"  
  
The auburn-haired girl smiled her brightest since the attack, and everyone in the room felt the joy and happiness that radiated off of her. Sora stood up and opened his arms to the incoming girl, smiling almost as brightly as she was. At the gesture, she picked up her pace slightly, and it wasn't until she was about a foot away from Sora when she stumbled. He caught her with ease, and applause echoed throughout the large room as nurses, doctors, her mother, and all her friends clapped at her brilliant accomplishment. Sora kissed her enthusiastically in her messy ponytail, thrusting his fist up in the air while he held Kairi. "She is NUMBER ONE!" he yelled while doing a watered down version of his victory dance.  
  
Kairi giggled at the silly antics of her boyfriend and clung tighter. He looked down and scooped her up in his arms gently, heading back to her hospital room.   
  
"Uhh, Sora."  
  
Jiro stepped forward, pointing to the small folded up wheelchair in the corner. Sora rolled his eyes heavenward before looking back at Jiro. "I did this for a reason, Jiro."  
  
He winked at the boy to make his point and headed out the room with a giggling Kairi. Jiro only shuddered at the comment, making Nami, Garnet, Sakura giggle and Taiyou smile. Riku seemed to be the only one unfazed, for he was in deep thought about the situation at hand. Kado's gone, Kairi is making excellent process so what is the problem?  
  
Sora and Taiyou.  
  
Up until this point, Riku hadn't really noticed the change in Sora and Taiyou's relationship, but now, he noticed the glares Taiyou threw at Sora when he mentioned Riku's name or when he did something like hug Riku. Before Taiyou knew about the type of relationship Sora and Riku had, he was good friends with Sora. But now...  
  
~Flash~  
  
"'I'll be the shoulder you cry on?' What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
~Flash~  
  
"Why were you guys holding hands when you walked in the room?"  
  
"Sora was having a rough time actually going in. That's why."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
~Flash~  
  
"Hey, where you guys headed?"  
  
"Oh, we're just going to my house, Taiyou."  
  
"Yea, we're discussing business."  
  
"...Business?"  
  
"Yeah! It'll be boring so I doubt you'll want to come."  
  
"What business are you talking about?"  
  
"Just minor stuff really. I'll be back home in time to go out with you tonight."  
  
"Oh..."  
  
~Flash~  
  
"Why the cocky attitude? Kairi is still in the hospital, and even though she is physically getting better, there is still the mental aspect. Kado being out of this school isn't the most important thing; Kairi is, Sora."  
  
~Flash~  
  
"You're the one to talk about hiding things, Riku."  
  
"You and Sora are going off to different places and not telling anyone where you're going or what you're doing. I know you guys had something to do with Kado's sudden transfer, and I want to know what you did."  
  
~End Flashes~  
  
Riku ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. Things were a lot more complicated than he thought, and if Taiyou continues down this path of dislike for Sora, then conflicts that could have been avoided are going to happen. This is not the time to fight within the group, but to work together to help Kairi out as much as possible. He wasn't going to decide between Sora and Taiyou; he wanted them both.  
  
Apparently, Riku's sigh earned the attention of Taiyou, and the amber-eyed boy walked over to Riku. "What's wrong?" he said, looking concerned.  
  
Riku looked up and flashed him a small smile. "Just thinking, that's all."  
  
*CRASH*  
  
"Ha, didn't see that there."  
  
Sora lifted his right arms to rest on the back of his head, smiling sheepishly as silver bedpan spun on the floor. Everyone except Taiyou laughed at his clumsiness. "Did you see the way she walked, Riku?!"  
  
Sora jogged up to Riku and pulled him into a bear hug, squeezing as tight as he could. "She was doin' great!!"  
  
Riku coughed a bit before looking to Taiyou, who was glaring daggers at Sora. It was as if Sora felt one thrown at his back because he turned around and grinned at Taiyou. "Wasn't she, Taiyou?"  
  
His grin turned into a familiar mischievous smile, and from what Riku could see it was the same dark smile that appeared on his face when he was planning Kado's confrontation. If that smile reappeared so soon, then Sora must be really angry with Taiyou. This has to stop. "Sora, Taiyou, meet me at my house today at 6:00pm. We need to talk."  
  
Riku removed himself from Sora's hug - even though he enjoyed it - and walked to the door, still looking at Sora and Taiyou. Sora was smiling smugly, and Taiyou was glaring once again. He sighed and left the room for good, but instead of heading to the exit, he veered to the right; straight to Kairi's room.   
  
They have done this everyday; have long conversations after Kairi's physical therapy. It has become routine now: After Kairi does her physical therapy (With Sora watching), he takes her back to the room when she's finished, she 'sleeps' and a little later, Riku sneaks in her room so that they can talk. It was the only way Riku would be able to talk to Kairi privately since Sora was monitoring her all the time but the real reason why they sneaked around to talk was because of their topic choice. Kairi often talked about the adventures of Sora, The Monster Slayer and Kairi, Treasure Huntress Extraordinaire. Riku learned many things Sora probably would be uncomfortable talking about right now, therefore he relied on Kairi to fill him in. He knew that she was missing more current information on Sora like who Seifer was to Sora but that will be revealed when Sora is ready.  
  
Riku reached Kairi's room within a matter of minutes, quickly looked around and then entered quietly. There have been occasions where Kairi actually fell asleep so he came in quietly for that moment on. She was already sitting up in the hospital bed, looking out the window. It wasn't until Riku shut the door behind him that she shifted her gaze to Riku. She smiled in acknowledgement to his presence and motioned him to sit beside her on the bed. He eagerly complied and gave her a small hug. "How are you?"  
  
"I'm doing all right. I had a nightmare last night, but Sora helped me out."  
  
She smiled at the memory, causing Riku to smile also. He was glad that Sora was helping her out so much. He is, of course, her boyfriend.   
  
"That's good."  
  
By the flatness of his tone, Kairi could tell something was wrong. "How are you doing, Riku?"  
  
Riku laughed dryly before running his fingers through his hair. "I've been better, Kairi, I've been better."  
  
A pause falls over them. "This doesn't have to do with Sora and Taiyou does it?"  
  
Riku nodded once as he looked at her in shock, eyes widening slightly. Did she know about the tension between those two?  
  
"From the way Taiyou talks about Sora and watches him, I'd say he's pretty angry with Sora."  
  
"He is, and he's mad at me too because of our relationship."  
  
Kairi hesitated to respond due to that comment. Even she had noticed the strengthening of Riku and Sora's relationship, and she couldn't be happier that Sora finally found someone to fully trust again. But the knowledge of Sora's bisexuality hindered her from being completely content with the relationship change. Once and awhile, she would catch Sora watching Riku; saying nothing and doing nothing. Kairi could remember when she used to do that with Sora, and a couple of years later she discovered she was in love with him! The same could happen to Sora...sooner or later...  
  
"...I don't know what to do."  
  
Blinking twice, Kairi mentally scolded herself for drifting off. She had missed almost everything Riku had said, and now he was looking at her, expecting an answer. She smiled apologetically, and from that small gesture he understood what just happened. Chuckling, Riku wrapped his arm around her neck and squeezed her softly; reassuringly. "It happens to me all the time," he said, still chuckling.  
  
"Sorry, though," she giggled.  
  
The two fell into a pleasant silence, and for several moments, the only movement was that of Riku shifting his weight to get into more of a comfortable position. Riku broke the silence. "I'm making them come over my house this evening to talk it over."  
  
"I'm glad you are. Something like this doesn't need to go on."  
  
Riku nodded once before planting a small kiss on Kairi's forehead and heading to the door. "Get some sleep."  
  
She happily obeyed and curled up on her side, still facing Riku. "See ya later."  
  
"Bye."  
  
Riku walked out and shut the door behind him, a determined look on his face. He was going to resolve this.  
  
Tonight.  
  
^*^  
  
"Maybe this isn't such a good idea..."  
  
"She's Sora's girlfriend, Selphie. Even after all of the things she did to him, no one deserves being raped."  
  
"He's right, Selphie. I don't know much about Kairi and Sora, but from what I hear, he's pretty dedicated to her. You and Tidus know more about their pasts, but I'm looking at what's happening now. We should give these to her."  
  
"She'll probably like it, if she doesn't, tough. I'm not tryin' to impress a girl I don't know."  
  
"Eiko!"  
  
"What? It's true. You should feel the same way, Zidane."  
  
"*sigh* Let's just sneak these into her room, ok? I think she's asleep so I'll slip them in."  
  
"Let me do it! You're a loud walker, Tidus."  
  
"Fine."  
  
^*^  
  
6:00pm - Riku's House  
  
Sora waited patiently on the porch after ringing the doorbell twice. Frankly, he thought this meeting was stupid and pointless, but nevertheless complied with Riku's wishes. He knew exactly why Taiyou kept giving him glares or making rude comments; the boy was jealous. Yes, his and Riku's relationship did grow since Riku deemed himself 'the shoulder to cry on.' Yes, it was true that when he wasn't with Kairi, he was most likely with Riku, getting to know him better and spend time with him. However, it wasn't true that their relationship was more of an intimate relationship than a friendship. Sure, they knew their friendship was strange; Sora seriously doubted that the boys at school would hug as often as they do or share personal feelings and desires like they do. He also doubted that one of them would cry all night long on his best friend's shoulder without them minding.   
  
However, there is that factor called attraction. Sora is attracted to Riku -- that fact was apparent from the start. But they both are in a relationship with someone else right now, and even if Riku were to have the same attraction to Sora as Sora did to him, it still wouldn't work out. Taiyou knew about the attraction Sora has for Riku, and it is the very reason why they are in this conflict. "Come on in."  
  
Sora looked up to see Riku leaning against the doorframe, seemingly tired and frustrated. Taiyou was right behind him, his arms now crossed across his chest and eyes looking sideward. Sora stepped inside and grinned. If he had showed his real emotion, there would probably be a fight...  
  
"Well," Sora started as he kicked off his shoes, "you wanted to talk, Riku, so let's talk."  
  
Riku nodded and headed up the stairs, Sora and Taiyou in tow. They reached the familiar room, Sora occupying the bed, Taiyou occupying a beanbag near Riku's TV, and Riku leaning against the wall beside his door.   
  
"This has gone on for long enough, and you know what I'm talking about. So let's talk. Let's get it all out right now. Taiyou, you go first."  
  
^*^  
  
Finished! I haven't been giving you guys too many cliffhangers so I decided to throw one in for ya. Preview for the next chapter - Taiyou reveals all his feelings, Sora reveals all his feelings, some damage is done (I won't say to who.) More of Kairi's feelings, Riku's past is revealed, and SORA/RIKU LOVIN'!! Oh yea, Leon and Cloud are back and their role is bigger than ever! Romance, angst, a little humor, and definitely some drama blended into one to make:  
  
Trials and Tribulations Chapter 11!  
  
Haha, I'm so excited!  
  
Stay Tuned For The Next Installment Of Trials and Tribulations!  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	11. Trials and Tribulations 11

Author Notes: Now this is the chapter you have been waiting for. Some Sora/Riku lovin'! I can't wait to read your reactions to this chapter since it's such a big, eventful chappie. Don't want to keep you guys from reading the chapter so onward ho!  
  
Clarification for Princess of Mirrors: I laughed when I read your review. Me, get rid of my favorite original character Taiyou?? NEVER! Taiyou will be in the story through the very end, and him getting with Kairi is not happening. That's WAY too predictable for my tastes. Who he gets with and who Kairi gets with will be revealed much later. Anyways, I'm glad to see you back reading this story; for a minute I thought I lost one of my more insightful readers. Welcome back!  
  
Special Thanks To: Kairi099, kawaiidark, Kyari, Rinoki Rio, kurai neko, diamond_princess06, Princess of Mirrors, myredraincoat, Ariana, Twinstar1, onlyHAUNTED, Uzumaki-sama, Black Magician Girl1, Crimson-cruel, Iniku, KaoruFan, sorariku, Kiki, Turok-Han, Aiva_Kitty, inumoon3, yamichaos, CLOud, CLOUD-FANATIK88, and my Mediaminer reviewers -fake wings-, HotsummerYami, Blackrose Thorn, and Silveriss!  
  
Extra Thanks To My Beta Reader Crystalline Tears!!  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
*..............* Means an action  
  
~..............~ Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
Trials and Tribulations   
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
Taiyou crossed his arms and sighed, glaring in the direction of Sora and Riku. He pretty much figured out that this meeting was about his behavior towards Sora, and frankly, he really didn't care. The fact of the matter was that he was Riku's boyfriend, and Sora was his 'best friend'. More time should automatically be spent with him. "Well, I just think more time should be spent with me since I'm your boyfriend, Riku," he said softly, deciding to voice his thoughts aloud.  
  
A snort came from Taiyou's left, gaining the attention of both Taiyou and Riku. Sora was sprawled out on the bed, looking up at the ceiling while throwing one of Riku's pillows up in the air. "And do you know why Riku is spending so much time with me?" he drawled. "It is, of course, because he's fucking me behind your back."  
  
Taiyou stood up with a growl and headed to the bed. "I've had just about enough of you, Sora."  
  
"Yea well I've had enough of your stupid ass jealously. What the hell is wrong with you? My girlfriend gets raped and I almost lost my damn mind back in middle school."  
  
Sora sat up from his laying position, rage and annoyance etched in his features. "For the longest time, I've been alone because I was afraid that if I trusted someone again, it would end up back in my face like the last two fucking times! And you, the one who all of a sudden just appears back in Riku's life, have the nerve to be jealous?"  
  
"Sora..." Riku whispered. "Slow down for a minute, please?"  
  
"NO!" Sora yelled, standing up and facing Riku. "This bastard has been giving me a hard time for the last two weeks, and it is time to stop! Isn't this what you wanted us to do? Let it all out?"  
  
Riku nodded, causing Sora to swing around and face Taiyou. "Then let's do it. Let's get it all out now."  
  
Taiyou's eyes narrowed. "I know about your attraction to Riku, Sora, and the fact that you guys spend hours at a time doing Kami-knows-what at Kami-knows-where really gets me suspicious."  
  
He moved forward until he was the closest he could get to Sora without touching him. "I know about the looks, the full body scans you give him when he walks in the room or leaves the room. I know about it all."  
  
Riku shifted his gaze to Sora, who seemed unfazed by all the accusations just thrown his way. For some reason, his heart couldn't help but swell when he heard about Sora's attraction for him. He didn't know why, but he wasn't going to focus too much on that.   
  
"I am attracted to Riku. I mean, who isn't? He's pretty damn hot."  
  
As a tinge of red spread across Riku's face, he cursed himself for being so pale. He felt Taiyou's calculating gaze on him, and even though he was used to the intimidating stare, he kept his eyes on the floor. To make things worse, Sora didn't stop there.  
  
"I've been attracted to Riku ever since we met the first day of school. Sure, I was scared of him, but it was probably because of the way he always seemed to inspect me. Still, even though I am attracted to Riku, I'm content being his best friend. I have Kairi, and unfortunately for him, he has you."  
  
Taiyou crossed his arms at the 'unfortunately', but nevertheless stayed quiet. "Before you got back together with Riku, he promised me that he would be the shoulder I could cry on if I needed to during the time I was in the hospital. This has been a rough time for me, and all he's been doing is fulfilling his promise to me."  
  
Shocked, Riku openly stared at Sora. He didn't know why this shocked him so much, however, what Sora said was true. Then...why was this unexplainable feeling pooling in the pit of his stomach? Why did he feel happy almost to the point of giddiness?  
  
"Besides, you have no right to be jealous of Riku when you're the one who left him in the first place."  
  
Whether the audible gasp came from Taiyou or Riku, it still caused the room to grow deathly silent. Wide, shock-filled amber eyes stared at the spiky-haired boy, but there was no anger. An icy sheet of shame and sadness clouded them over, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. Taiyou turned his head to the side, squeezing his eyes as shut as he possibly could. He hoped Sora was satisfied because he had never been as right as he was now. Who was he to get jealous? He was the fool who broke Riku's heart back in freshman year because of his father. He was the coward who told his father he would get married and carry on the family name like a good son was suppose to.  
  
He was the heartless bastard who took Riku to their favorite place to break the news to him.  
  
Taiyou unconsciously slid down the post of the bed to the floor, eyes still squeezed shut in painful reminisce. Riku watched as Taiyou painfully remembered his past mistakes, and he wanted to just walk over and comfort him as best as he could. But...something was holding him back. Deep in his mind, he knew that Taiyou needed to experience this as a lesson...  
  
Sora watched Taiyou slide to the ground, no sympathy displayed in his now cold, unmerciful sapphire eyes. In fact, he had a hell of a lot more he wanted to say to this boy. "You're the coward who ran away from the relationship, and now you sit here and think that Riku should be with you more? Have you forgotten, dear Taiyou that you broke his damn heart before and you came damn near close to doing it again? Or are you a changed man after only two fucking years?"  
  
Riku shot a warning glare at Sora, but he promptly ignored it. The brunette was too enraged to think about anything or anybody else except for Taiyou. "You don't deserve Riku! Crawling back on your hands and knees and screaming to an EMPTY street that you love him. Bullshit! I know about guys like you."  
  
The rest of what Sora said was a blur as he focused on the last thing he just said.   
  
'I know about guys like you.'  
  
Studying Sora, Riku instantly recognized the glazed over look of sad reminiscence. Only this time it wasn't sadness. It was burning anger, an enmity so strong that Riku himself stepped backward. He had seen Sora angry - angry at little things like their argument about the fight with Kado and getting with Kairi, or extreme anger like the anger shown when Sora first walked in the basement to find Kairi there dangling from the ceiling. But this anger...this anger was combined with so many built up negative emotions that the hate seemed to radiant off of him in waves. It was frightening to say the least, but curiosity pierced through that emotion.   
  
Why?  
  
Why would this situation get Sora so upset? What did he mean when he said 'I know guys like you?' When? Where? How? Who?  
  
So many questions raced through Riku's mind, but he was distracted when he saw Sora inching toward the now curled up boy on the floor. Riku stepped forward as well, making sure that no physical fight was getting ready to break out; and by the looks of Sora, one was definitely going to take place soon.   
  
Sora didn't stop until he was a few feet from Taiyou, then crouched down until he reached his eye level. Nothing was said until Taiyou lifted his head to meet Sora's strong gaze. As angry sapphire blue met pain stricken amber, a nonverbal rule was made between them. From that day forward, they were neither enemies nor friends. Sora was Riku's best friend, and Taiyou was Riku's boyfriend. Any connections between them had been severed.  
  
After a few moments of silence, Sora spoke the last statement he was willing to say to Taiyou tonight.   
  
"Once a coward, always a coward."  
  
The fierce amber eyes that had been full of determination and pride dulled immensely at the phrase. Taiyou was set on not letting Sora's words slice through him like they did, but that last phrase was the final slash that cut his resolve in half. Shifting his gaze to the floor, a single tear rolled down his cheek and hit the floor. Sora's mask of coldness faltered as he watched the stone dam finally crack, but his anger swelled once more and the coldness came back full force.   
  
Riku, however, did the exact opposite of Sora.  
  
Never in his time spent with Taiyou had he seen the older boy cry. He was, of course, raised the same way Riku has been raised, except more cruelly so. Taiyou showed emotion, but he was never the one to feel a large wave of his emotions. He controlled his thoughts, feelings, and desires much like a ventriloquist would do his dummy, and because of that ability, he had been able to show as little or as much emotion as he wanted. Now, for the first time, Taiyou lost control.  
  
It was as if he was separated into two different entities, and one was participating while the other watched. He knew he was running to Taiyou, he knew he was pulling him into a fierce hug, and he knew that he was screaming at Sora to leave. But what he couldn't figure out was why he was doing the things he was doing.   
  
A soft thud was heard from his left, causing his eyes to dart to the window. It had been closed, obviously by Sora, and he let out a string of curses before looking down at Taiyou. The older boy was sobbing silently, eyes fixed on the wall behind Riku. Apologies laced with guilt and shame came out in slurred whispers as Taiyou buried his face in Riku's chest. Riku only tightened his embrace in response, staring at the closed window. This was far from what he actually expected to happen, and he knew that from this point on, things were a lot more complicated than they needed to be. A fight was expected, but certainly not to this extent. Everything was running as planned until Sora began the accusations. He never thought of Sora to be resolve-breaker, at least in a negative sense. Of course Riku knew that by his charm, good sense of humor, and carefree attitude, Sora could break down the defensive walls anyone put up. But digging up someone's past mistake, then throwing it back in their face was cruel; like picking at an old wound and then pouring salt in it when it was opened. Taiyou didn't deserve that - everyone makes mistakes that they're ashamed off, and they shouldn't be used as a tactic to hurt someone. This had gone too far.  
  
Sora had gone too far.  
  
Grabbing Taiyou by the waist, Riku picked the older boy up and laid him down on the bed. Taiyou instantly buried his face in the pillow, crying no longer, but still filled with shame. Riku growled at the condition Sora put him in and planted a small kiss on Taiyou's cheek, stomping to the window. He could have easily walked out the front door, but the last thing he needed right now was to talk to his father. Climbing out the window onto a small ledge, Riku jumped down from the ledge and headed to Sora's house.  
  
There were quite a few things he had to say to him.  
  
Sora's House  
  
Sora laid in his bed, curled up in a ball facing the far wall under his comforter. He realized how harsh his words were, but Taiyou need to hear the truth. People like him were the heartbreakers of society; therefore, Riku had no business going back to him in the first place. Sora sighed. Why was he caring so much anyways? Riku should be able to go out with whomever he chooses. He only cared so much because he was Riku's best friend, nothing more nothing less, right?  
  
Sora lay down on his back and stretched his legs out in an attempt to get comfortable. Gazing at the ceiling, Sora scolded himself for having this problem. If he had stuck with the original plan to not trust anyone, he probably wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. The problem with Taiyou only served as proof that trusting anyone does more damage than healing. Yet he had given into the temptation, despite his better judgment, and now he had a new, mind you- easily avoidable, problem placed on his shoulders with all the other issues he had.  
  
And of course, that's just what he needed right now.   
  
Along with watching his mentally distraught girlfriend recover, along with keeping up his grades in all his honors classes to meet his parents' expectations, and along with dealing with his own mental torment, he had to separate himself from his only source of comfort because of his jealous boyfriend. Life really couldn't get any better, could it?  
  
"Sora."  
  
Great. Life just got better.  
  
Sora brought the comforter over his head. "I really don't feel like talking, Riku."  
  
"Well I do." Riku yanked the comforter off of Sora and - thank goodness - Sora was still clad in his school clothes. Glaring at him with annoyance, Sora sat up and crossed his arms. "What do you want?"  
  
"Sora, how could you? The things you said were completely uncalled for!"  
  
Sora looked Riku straight in the eye, disbelief etched in his features. The older boy's sea-green eyes were flickering with anger and disappointment, causing irritation to fill Sora as he stood up. "Please tell me you're not serious."  
  
It was Riku's turn to look at Sora in disbelief. "Of course I'm serious!"  
  
"Unbelievable!"  
  
The irritation that Sora quickly transformed into anger, and as much as he tried, he couldn't stand facing Riku right now. "Just get out, Riku."  
  
Riku growled and took a step forward. "What?"  
  
"You heard what I said. Get out. I don't need this right now."  
  
Only Sora could evoke such a rush of emotions like he did. Riku felt an emotion beyond anger; no words could describe how he was feeling. However, he was determined to solve this problem tonight with a conversation that was long overdue. "Taiyou is not a coward. In fact, he is one of the bravest people I have ever met."  
  
"Oh really?" Sora drawled sarcastically as he rolled his eyes. "He wasn't so brave when he left you now was he?"  
  
With lightning fast reflexes, Riku pinned Sora against the far wall. His left hand trapped both of Sora's wrists above his head, and his right hand was against his chest, pushing him against the wall. Gazing into his unfazed sapphire eyes and raising his fist to hit the younger boy, Riku snarled, "If you ever -"  
  
"Ever what?" Sora questioned flippantly as he lifted his right leg to catch Riku's left, effectively knocking him off of his feet. "Tell you the truth? Because that's what I'm doing!" He straddled Riku's waist while holding his wrists together. "Taiyou ran away with his tail in between his legs and left you alone. I can see the pain in your eyes, Riku, I'm not stupid."  
  
Riku flipped them around so that Sora's back was against the floor. "TAIYOU SAVED MY LIFE!"  
  
It was as if time froze except for the heavy breathing coming from Sora and Riku. The confession was followed by a tension-filled silence. Neither boy moved, only after countless minutes, Riku decided to speak once more. "My mother was a young beautiful lady who succeeded in raising two boys while working as a business executive for a top company. She was literally the ties that held our family together, and no one expected what happened three years ago."  
  
Sora didn't move, but did the best thing he could do in this situation: listen. Riku laid his head on Sora's chest. "I was the best pitcher for the Destiny Island Sharks, and we had finally made it to the championship. It was the moment I had been waiting for ever since I found out what baseball was. To make it even better I thought everyone was going to be there: my father, my mother, and my older brother with his wife. I wanted nothing more than to win the championship with them there cheering me on.  
  
"A week before the game, my mom dropped the bomb. She couldn't make it to the game. I was furious and stomped up to my room, yelling at the top of my lungs that I hated her and that she didn't care about how important this was for me. For the rest of the week, I treated her like shit. I wouldn't talk to her; acknowledge her presence, or anything. My dad convinced my mom that I would get over it, but I didn't, and now I wish I had."  
  
A gasp erupted from Sora as he felt the wetness of where Riku laid his head. He leaned up slightly to see Riku crying silently. Meeting his gaze, Riku let the tears that he held in for so long stream down his cheeks. "She died because she tried to make it to my game, Sora, and it wasn't a car accident. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was shot three times: in the eye, in the stomach, and in the heart."  
  
Sora sat up fully now and embraced Riku, his own tears running down his cheeks. He knew he couldn't imagine what Riku went through, nor did he try to. He just embraced Riku and rubbed his back the way Riku had done so many times before.   
  
Sometimes, all it took was someone actually being there to start the healing.  
  
"She died two days after arriving at the hospital. I was the one who found her dead."  
  
Riku tightened his grip around Sora's waist.   
  
"I turned into a heartless bastard after that. No one could, or even tried, to save me from my downward spiral. My brother moved off the island after the funeral, my dad stayed isolated in his room with a bottle of scotch, and my friends patted me on the back and said 'Everything will be okay, Riku, just you wait.' I expected the same reaction from everyone. Then Taiyou came along. He taught me how to feel again and that life wasn't something you just put up with. He saved me from myself, Sora."  
  
Silence greeted them once more, and the two boys were just content with the embrace. Heart pounding, Sora ran through the traumatic event Riku just told him. Riku had suffered as much as he has, and he's dealt with that alone; no support, no encouragement, and no one to confide in. He's had this inner battle that he's been fighting and the people around him have done nothing but stand by and watch. Taiyou didn't even seem to be doing anything to help Riku right now even though it's clear that Riku is still suffering. Sora felt angry and disappointed at the people who were supposed to be his friends. Riku's voice was laced with so much pain and anguish, and he knew first hand that after two years, some of the pain should have been taken care off. Sora knew his own torment hadn't particularly been dealt with, but that was because no one knew of what he actually gone through. Not even Kairi. But with Riku, Taiyou was supposed to be the one to help ease some of that pain.   
  
Sora looked down. Riku's eyes were closed, his breathing was steady and light, and for the first time today, he looked completely at peace. The signs of stress, pain, and inner torture had melted away, making Sora smile softly at the sight.   
  
It was...beautiful to see Riku this way.  
  
Scooting over to the bed and leaning against it with Riku still in his arms, Sora settled for a small nap himself, hoping that Riku could finally have some inner peace.  
  
^*^  
  
"You really have been helpful, Joyce."  
  
"Well, I do what I can, Kairi dear, but where is your boy toy and his sexy silver-haired friend?"  
  
Kairi laughed aloud, amusement twinkling in her eyes. Joyce had quite the crush on Riku, to Taiyou's dismay, and the fifty-two year old nurse asked about him everyday. It was the funniest thing she'd encountered since her bad English lesson.  
  
"They had some business to sort out. Sorry Joyce."  
  
Even though her tone was playful, Kairi couldn't help but worry about what events transpired during their meeting. She knew for sure that someone was going to get hurt, and none of those boys deserved that. Life was actually starting to become tolerable for Kairi: the nurses and doctors took great care of her, Sora treated her like a queen, and her friends instantly cheered her up by showering her with presents and stupid, but funny jokes. The nightmares were still there, but Sora was always there to help her pull through.  
  
Her staying here didn't make her feel like 'damaged goods' as Kado put it.  
  
She frowned. It was going on 7:00 and she hadn't received any calls from Sora, Riku, or Taiyou. Were they still talking or did something happen to them? ~Please let them be okay.~  
  
"Kairi, are you alright?"  
  
Joyce watched Kairi with concern, causing the girl to smile with appreciation. "I'm fine."  
  
She prayed that Sora, Riku, and Taiyou were fine as well.  
  
^*^  
  
Soft breath tickling his ear was the first thing he noticed as he opened his eyes. He felt light for the first time in ages - like a burden was lifted - and he knew exactly who to thank for that. Sora did the one thing no one else has done in a long time: he embraced him and just listened. No interruptions for advice or comments of sympathy. Those were his confessions, and after all they had gone through and after all the things he said, Sora was still here, still going strong when he had the chance to walk away and say 'Everything will be fine, Riku, just you wait.' It was truly admirable.  
  
Riku looked up and studied the sleeping boy. Even though he was the one who comforted Sora most of the time, Sora had understood in a way that no one else could. Their conversations over the past couple of weeks were ones that he cherished simply because Sora understood and acknowledged his opinion without disregarding it like so many others have done. Taiyou was even guilty of doing that - interrupting him by making suggestions of his own. With Sora, he could talk for hours on end, and the boy would still listen without interruptions. Perhaps it was this reason that drew Riku closer to Sora.  
  
Besides his beauty - which Riku was intently studying right now - Sora had the ability to see through his facades and coax him out of them. There were times when Riku had to smile when he didn't feel like smiling or move at a fast pace when he felt like slowing down.  
  
No one could recognize and help him out like that except Sora.  
  
Caressing his cheek, Riku chuckled when Sora drowsily opened his eyes. The drowsiness, however, was quickly replaced with surprise, causing Riku to chuckle once more. He leaned up and placed a chaste kiss on the surprised boy's lips. The kiss was achingly slow, but it was definitely one of the more intense kisses the two boys shared. Already shocked, Sora shocked himself even more by responding, which in turn, scrambled his already confused thoughts. Riku pulled away and smiled, caressing his cheek again. "Thank you for listening to me."  
  
He untangled their limbs and walked to the window when he heard loud footsteps behind him. He turned around to meet angry blue eyes. "Why did you kiss me? Our friendship- "  
  
"What about our friendship, Sora?" Riku stated calmly. "Who or what defines what we can do in a friendship or any relationship for that matter?"  
  
"W-Well," Sora stuttered, shifting on one foot to the next, "no one, but -"  
  
"But what? I'm not allowed to kiss you as a thank you?"  
  
If Sora was confused before, he was certainly a mess now. "I-I guess..."  
  
"Since there is no rule stating that I am not allowed to kiss you as a thank you," Riku said ignoring Sora's answer, "I'll do it when I please. Of course that'll have to be ok with you. Our relationship is already in a category of its own so what harm could this do, right?"  
  
Sora looked at the floor. It was true; most boys didn't hug or make as much physical contact as they did, nor did they talk about the things they usually talk about so this shouldn't be much of a problem for them, right?  
  
Right?  
  
"Yea," Sora agreed while walking to Riku. If this was going to be a deal between them, he might as well make the most of it. "You're right.   
  
There is no rule."  
  
Sora wrapped his arms around Riku's waist. Looking up, he gripped Riku's hair with his right hand and brought him down for a kiss. This kiss was the exact opposite of the kiss shared minutes earlier. It was fast, lacking tenderness, but making up for it with passion. Sora even dragged his tongue along Riku's bottom lip before thrusting it inside, causing the older boy to moan softly. Riku wrapped his arms around Sora's shoulders to deepen the kiss. After breaking away and planting a kiss on Sora's forehead, Riku began to climb out. "That was one hell of a goodbye kiss, Sora."  
  
And he was gone. Sora had the good graces to smile sheepishly while blushing. He leaned back against the wall next to the small open window, suddenly feeling giddy. Then a horrible realization stuck him like a bolt of lightning.  
  
Kairi. Taiyou. They might find out about this arrangement.  
  
He slid down the wall and muttered the first two words that came to mind: "Oh shit."  
  
^*^  
  
Finished! I had planned to have Leon and Cloud in this chapter, but I decided to make their appearance bigger in the next one. Please review. Constructive criticism welcome.  
  
~MercuryGoddess~ 


	12. Trials and Tribulations 12

Author Notes: Well, I got some mixed reviews. Most were happy, but some were disappointed in the boys. This chapter will be the explanation chapter, and hopefully it will clear up some questions or comments you lovely folks might have.  
  
Clarification for Princess of Mirrors: Sora said Taiyou wasn't doing his job because Riku is still filled with so much pain and anguish, yet Taiyou was suppose to be the one to Riku could go to help. The chapter below should answer some more of your questions regarding their motives for their 'friendship.'  
  
Special Thanks To: Ariana, Psykre, Junsui-san, Crimson-cruel, Uzumaki-sama, Rimiko, Twinstar1, Lightdemondarkangel, KaoruFan, Heather Christi, tries-to-be-special, Kieshar, Rinoki Rio, kawaiidark, Princess of Mirrors, diamondprincess06, camigirl4k3, myredraincoat, Dreamer, Snowshoe koneko, YaisaKitty, Kate-chan, Sora Otaku, and my Mediaminer reviewers kady, DragonDame57, and inumoon3!  
  
**Thanks To Crystalline Tears And Lightdemondarkangel For Their Excellent Beta Work!**  
  
Disclaimer: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
Warnings: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
Rating: I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...  
  
Reminder:  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
.............. Means an action  
  
.............. Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
Trials and Tribulations   
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
Of all the scenarios Riku could have thought of, going into Sora's house angry, then coming out after receiving a hot goodbye kiss would not be one of them. Truth be told, he was preparing himself to be angry at Sora for long period of time, and of course him revealing what happened to his mother wasn't in the script either. For whatever the reason he felt he needed to explain his feelings regarding the situation with Taiyou to Sora, even though it really wasn't required. His relationship with Sora could have run perfectly fine without the knowledge that Riku's mother had been killed on her way to Riku's championship baseball game.   
  
Then why did he tell him? Why did he open up the memory like an old wound and allow himself to feel the sting of guilt and anguish? He could have easily said that Taiyou was his boyfriend, and he had every right to feel the way he did about him because Taiyou had that quality. He could have avoided the pain of the past, the unwanted resurfacing of memories he worked so hard to keep in the back recesses of his mind. So...why did he allow it to come out?  
  
And why was he feeling like a huge burden had been lifted off of him?  
  
Riku climbed into the small window and landed softly in the room; his eyes automatically falling on the bundle curled up in his bed. Taiyou was asleep; only the occasional light breeze coming through the window would illicit a small shiver. Walking over and taking a thin blanket from the foot of the bed with him, Riku sat down and tucked the blanket under Taiyou's chin, watching the older boy sleep. He looked serene for the first time today, but Riku couldn't help picturing Sora sleeping in his bed rather than his boyfriend.   
  
It was wrong, and he knew it was wrong, but somehow he couldn't stop.  
  
He couldn't stop thinking of Sora's rosy cheeks, slightly parted lips, messy spikes covering closed eyes...he couldn't stop. What made it even more wrong was how he liked thinking about Sora that way and didn't want to stop. The image of tranquil perfection was something he wanted to think and dream about all day long. He let out a bitter laugh. There was a time when he thought about Taiyou that way:  
  
Freshman year.  
  
Riku transferred from City Isle Junior High just a year before yet he still had no friends at all. He had acquaintances; people you say hi to occasionally, then go on with your daily lives, not worrying about what they're doing or who they're with. Riku was used to the complete solitude - his brother moved out the house, and his father locked himself in his room. At the tender age of thirteen, he was thrown into a world of adult responsibilities such as bill paying and laundry. He never did mind doing the work because of the effect his mother's death had on his father. So he did it without question, and at first he was filled with loneliness and silent suffering. But as the days turned into weeks went by, he felt himself just not caring anymore. His ability to express emotion became 'invalid', so to speak.  
  
Suddenly, Taiyou appeared out of nowhere and completely turned his world upside down.  
  
The older boy made it his personal mission to extract some 'human characteristics' from Riku. He never did find out why; he was just going to ignore it and move on. But something about Taiyou's persistence and determination made him feel more alive then he had ever felt in a long while. Staying cold and indifferent around Taiyou was practically impossible. His very presence could evoke strong emotions in anyone, and it was that quality that drew him to Taiyou in the first place. However, he made the ultimate mistake as he continued to allow Taiyou to delve deeper and deeper into his life.  
  
He fell in love.  
  
Taiyou was his first love before the amber-eyed boy even asked him out. That was how much time the two were spending with each other. Taiyou had taken it slow, getting to know every single piece of the puzzle named Riku. He didn't pressure him, 'forcefully encourage,' or anything. He blabbered all about himself and then asked Riku about his past. Riku was so wrapped up in Taiyou that he took his guard down and revealed the pain and suffering he was feeling ever since his mother died. To his relief, Taiyou didn't run away or say 'everything will be fine, Riku, just you see!' He actually told him like it was; yes, your mother is dead, no, you may never get over that, but yes, there is a way to overcome it. Riku had been entirely grateful and showed his gratitude by a kiss. Thus, the beginning of Riku and Taiyou's relationship.  
  
They were very much into each other until the end of freshman year when Taiyou had to make a choice. His father had told him that they were going to move to City Isle to promote the company. Knowing fully well that his son was gay, his father included that he either go with him to City Isle and find a nice girl to marry and carry on the company with or...stay here, live with your aunt and continue the so called relationship he was having with Riku. Taiyou made the decision to abandon what they had and followed his father.  
  
He broke up with Riku in a small cave on the far side of the island - their special place - then left a couple of days later.  
  
It was at that very moment that he lost the sparkly feeling he had towards Taiyou. No longer did he see the older boy as some kind of sacred artifact that only he had to take care of. No longer did he get that tingling feeling in the pit of his stomach when he thought of Taiyou. He felt rage, betrayal, self-pity, and self-loathing...  
  
Although Riku didn't revert back to his heartless bastard attitude, he certainly did transform from his I'm-in-love-the-world-is-beautiful persona. He was cynical, sarcastic, and overall pessimistic. His outlook on life was simple: Life's a bitch; we all die alone anyway. He was pretty much that way until Sora came waltzing in homeroom a few minutes late and engaging in a staring contest with Mr. Shin.  
  
Riku laughed genuinely this time before leaning up against the backboard of the bed, his eyes still trained on Taiyou. The laugh died on his lips, however, when Taiyou let out a sigh as he shifted onto his back, left arm splayed above his head. There was a time when he would tremble with giddiness at the simple position switch. The only thing he felt now was the light breeze that continued its steady stream throughout the room and it made him feel a tremor of guilt. He was feeling those forbidden feelings for Sora, not Taiyou.   
  
Was that why he made up that speech about there not being a rule on the boundaries of friendship? Because he wanted to disguise the real reason why he wanted to kiss, touch, and hold Sora?  
  
Riku stood up while raking a hand through his silver locks. Without so much as a second glance, Riku walked out the room and down the stairs, only to see his father sitting at the kitchen table with a bottle of scotch in his hand. Tired and emotionally strung, Riku glared at his father with distain. "When will you ever solve problems on your own instead of going to a fucking bottle of scotch?"  
  
His father only looked at him with disinterest before taking another swig of scotch. The sloshing sound of the almost empty bottle caused Riku to snap completely. He strode forward, snatched the glass bottle from his father's hands and chucked it at the nearest wall. The bottle shattered on contact; the bronze liquid seeping down the wall forming a steady puddle on the floor. "CUT IT OUT!" Riku screamed as he inched menacingly towards his inebriated father. "JUST CUT IT OUT!"  
  
Eyes narrowed into crazed slits, Yuki stood up and staggered towards Riku. "I spe't the las' of mah allowance on tha' bottle."  
  
"Oh, the world is going to end now," Riku stated sarcastically. "Yuki spent the last of his money on a bottle of scotch."  
  
Yuki picked up his pace, only to have a sharp dagger of pain shoot through his head. He leaned against the table, breathing irregularly, and shot Riku a weak glare. Riku looked at him in disgust. "I have a hell of a lot more problems than you do, but you don't see me getting wasted, now do you? For fuck's sake, clean yourself up and don't go to my room. Leave. Taiyou. Alone."  
  
With that, Riku walked out and headed to his car. At times like this when his father was drunk, or the mental pain just became too much, he drove to the one place that can make him feel much better.  
  
Leon's place.  
  
Leon's Apartment  
  
Riku parked the car in the small parking lot just outside Leon's apartment. It was late, but he was sure the senior and his boyfriend were home considering the fact that they barely left the apartment in the evenings. Leon and Cloud were the ones who picked up the pieces when Taiyou left, so he had always been dependent on them when he was feeling like an emotional wreck. It could be said that they were his get-out-of-jail free cards, except it could be used more than once.   
  
He took advantage of that fact every time he could.  
  
Making his way up the steep stairs, Riku looked for apartment number 4644. He greeted the neighbors as they passed by - they saw him as a fellow neighbor since he came by so much - and quickly made it to the fourth floor. He knocked twice, waiting for the door to open as he looked around. The door opened a few minutes later to reveal Cloud in his boxers, eyes heavily lidded, hair messier than usual and lips swollen. Riku looked at him with amusement. Seems like he interrupted a heavy make-out session...  
  
"Oh, hi Riku! Come in," Cloud invited huskily.   
  
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," Riku said politely.  
  
"You are. Get out."  
  
There at the bedroom entrance was an equally tousled Leon. He was leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms, lips forming a tight line. Cloud smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, we've been getting visitors all day today, and Leon is a little...frustrated."  
  
A grunt was the only response to that statement, causing Cloud and Riku to laugh softly. Cloud turned to Riku. "So what's up, Riku? I know you didn't drive 20 minutes out here to say hi."  
  
"Just...problems at home and in the head," Riku replied, laughing bitterly. Cloud turned around and waved his hand at Leon. Riku smiled weakly. They had this down to a science: Riku would come in and say he had problems at home and in the head, Cloud would wave to Leon, and Leon would make three hot chocolates with whip cream. Then, they would sit down at the dining room and talk. Riku loved every minute of it.  
  
The three hot chocolates were prepared with ease and set on the dining room table where they all sat at their respectable places.   
  
Now, they were ready to talk.  
  
"So what happened, Riku?" Cloud asked cautiously while sipping the hot liquid in front of him.  
  
"Well, here the gist of it: Taiyou's been acting cold to Sora all week. It got out of hand today at lunch and at the hospital. I told them that they were going to meet at my house to talk. Sora said hurtful things to Taiyou, Taiyou cried for the first time in ages, I went over Sora's house to yell at him and ended up telling him about my mother and kissing him goodbye, I went back to my house to find my father drunk and snapped, throwing the bottle against the wall, and now I'm here."  
  
Silence. "...You kissed Sora?"  
  
"I'm an idiot. I made this whole little speech about how society doesn't decide the boundaries of a friendship."  
  
"...You...KISSED...Sora?!"  
  
Letting out a deep sigh, Riku slumped in the chair, burying his face in his hands. "I know. I know."  
  
He picked up the black coffee mug and took a large gulp of the hot chocolate. Cloud looked at Leon before shifting his gaze back to Riku. He opened his mouth to say something, but Riku began to speak first. "Sora makes me feel even better than I felt back in freshman year, and I don't really know why. I feel guilty though because I have these thoughts like 'What if I did this with Sora?' or 'What would Sora say about that?' instead of thinking about what Taiyou would want or say about something. It's driving me nuts, guys, and that feeling I have when I'm around Sora is...well, addictive to say the least. I want to always be the one to protect him, always be the one to comfort him when he needs it, and always be the one who he comes to talk to. Am I absolutely out of my mind for feeling this way? I mean, Taiyou should be making me feel this way, not Sora, but when I'm with Taiyou, I feel something, yet I don't know what it is anymore. I thought it was love, or at least like, but now...  
I don't know. I just don't know.  
  
"The only thing I know is that if I suppress these feelings I have for Sora, it'll get worse. I know that if I go for these feelings and leave Taiyou because of them, he'll get hurt. Besides, Sora is with Kairi at the moment. Damn it, this is a lose-lose situation! Someone will get hurt!"  
  
"Someone always gets hurt, Riku," Leon said softly, "and you can't change that. The only thing you have control over is who gets hurt, and that is a decision you will have to make on your own."  
  
"Leon's right," Cloud interjected. "None of us can make that decision for you. It's something you will have to think about. Don't try to rush it either. Take you time and think about it thoroughly."  
  
"I know that's what it boils down to, but I'm so confused..."  
  
Cloud leaned over and brought Riku into snug embrace, patting his back softly. "This is quite a mess you're in, Riku, but rest assured this will be straightened out in time. Why don't you take a quick nap before you hit the road again? You look awfully tired."  
  
Riku nodded, drank the last of his hot chocolate, and headed over to the couch. He plopped down unceremoniously and fell into the cushions, snuggling up and falling asleep. Leon looked at the body of his couch, then back at Cloud. He grabbed the blonde-haired man's hand lead him back to the bedroom. "He sleeps like a rock. He won't hear us."  
  
Smiling, Cloud let himself be lead onto the king-sized bed.

Sora sat down heavily on the wooden dock, wiping the sweat off his brow. For the last twenty minutes, Sora had been running non-stop, and now he was getting ready for a swim. It was something he did when the thoughts and confines of his house became unbearable. And the thoughts were certainly overwhelming:  
  
Taiyou.  
  
Riku.   
  
Riku's mother.  
  
His own parents.  
  
Riku's kiss.  
  
Riku.  
  
Kairi.  
  
Riku. Riku. Riku.  
  
He mentally kicked himself. What they had was simply a weird friendship and nothing more. Besides, he has a girlfriend and Riku has a boyfriend. Nothing more could happen between them, right?  
  
Pulling his shirt over his head and his shoes off of his feet, Sora threw both of them over his shoulder and dived in the water. The cool water relaxed him almost immediately as he floated on the surface, looking up into the night sky. The moon was full and illuminated the small area intensely.  
  
It reminded him of Riku.  
  
Silver locks the length of his shoulder blade, iridescent sea-green eyes, and pale, milky skin...he couldn't seem to get the older boy out of his head. In reality, he didn't want to, but he knew that thoughts like these will land him right back where he started. He worked entirely too hard to let these sickening emotions get to him, and he'll be damned if they do...  
  
But...  
  
He also knew that part of him wanted these feelings to come. He wanted to be able to feel that bubbling sensation when he was around someone; he even wanted someone to trust although his trust had been shattered multiple times before. For once, he wanted to be able to not put his guard up or surround himself with walls of indifference when talking about something personal. He wanted to be able to act the way Riku did when he talked about his mother.  
  
Completely open and honest - exposed.  
  
At some point in time he was completely open and honest about his feelings, but junior high changed all of that. Junior high changed Kairi and made her cold and callous towards him because of her popularity status, which in turn made him desperate for that trustworthiness that he cherished so much...  
  
This in turn led him to Irvine, Seifer, and the others.   
  
Even when feeling a little more cautious, he still fell under the trap of his 'friends.' The joke from Rinoa, Yuna, Seifer, Quistis, and Irvine - named The Biggest and Funniest Prank Since Forever by his fellow classmates - made him even more guarded than before, but...  
  
It wasn't enough to save him from falling for Irvine.  
  
Irvine was his first love, and he came to realize that after a festival that took place a few years ago. It had been perfect; Irvine and Sora broke off from the rest of the group and sat near a small lake nearby the festival grounds and talked like there was no tomorrow. Sora already knew he 'sorta liked' Irvine for a while, but he found his crush getting stronger and stronger as the night went on. Irvine had opened up to him - he was a completely different person behind closed doors. And he decided to share that with Sora, of all people. So, Sora returned the favor.   
  
A few days later, the joke ensued, and Sora hated him with his entire being for the rest of seventh grade. The emotions he felt were simple: pain, abandonment, rejection, and betrayal. It got to the point that he just felt numb. He trusted Irvine and once again, within a two-year period, he was betrayed. He was naive to think that he couldn't be hurt that much within a short amount of time, but his naivety soon turned to stupidity. When he entered the eight grade, Irvine - the only one out of the group - was determined to receive forgiveness for what he did the previous year. Stupidity reigned over his common sense once again, and he forgave the older boy and started to befriend him for real.  
  
It caused Sora to fall in love with him over again.  
  
The only difference was that this time, it wasn't unrequited. They confessed their feelings for each other in the exact same spot they were in the night of the festival, and for once, life was not some horrible monster trying to rain on his parade. He was happier than he had ever felt before, but life just wouldn't allow him to be happier. Seifer liked Irvine, and always getting what he wanted, he sought out Irvine.   
  
The end result: Irvine liked Seifer as well and chose him over Sora.   
  
Once again he felt the familiar rush of negative emotions and closed himself off to others. The memory of seeing Seifer smile smugly while wrapping an arm around Irvine's waist was etched in his mind, forever tormenting him and showing him that he could never, ever be happy - that life was nothing more than his torturer. Yet he found himself crawling out of the shell he put himself in for Riku. He felt protective, possessive, and jealous at the thought of anyone beside himself kissing him, holding him, talking to him about deep personal matters...How did the older boy make him feel this way? Why couldn't he just be content with the relationship he already has with Kairi? Why was he in a relationship in the first place?  
  
Sora sighed and pushed himself slowly in the water. He didn't know how long he had been there, but all he had was questions with no answers so he decided to wade back to the dock. Pulling himself out the water, he shook his head fiercely and grabbed the crumpled, sand-covered shirt, while squeezing into his shoes, jogging back to his house. He spotted a familiar black convertible in his driveway and froze mid-jog.   
  
Riku was over his house.  
  
Suddenly, feeling self-conscious, Sora thought about running in the opposite direction, but decided to face Riku. He squared off his shoulders and walked over to the tree. He scaled it easily and jumped in the open window, spotting Riku on the bed.   
  
Riku looked up as soon as he heard the rustling of the leaves. There he was, the object of his thoughts, dripping wet with a determined expression on his face. He sighed. He had to do what he had to do.  
  
Standing up, Riku walked slowly over to Sora. He stopped when he was a few inches away. "I need to see something," he murmured softly.   
  
Sora cocked his head to the side, but nevertheless stayed quiet. Riku leaned forward and captured his lips in a kiss. He felt the older boy wrap his arms around his waist immediately, and only then did he start to respond. The kiss continued to grow; from tender to passionate to downright urgent. Sora felt himself clinging to the other, wishing, hoping, _praying_ that this wouldn't end.  
  
How does he make me feel this way?  
  
Sora began walking towards the bed - Riku still in his desperate embrace - when the kiss was stopped abruptly. Slightly caught off guard, Sora locked eyes with Riku and began to ask what was wrong, but what he saw in Riku's eyes stunned him into silence. His eyes were widened in realization, and the once sea green eyes darkened with fear. The fear took Sora by surprise, but it was the type of fear that shocked him the most.  
  
Riku looked terrified.  
  
From that simple look, Sora felt the familiar sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach.

Finished! This chapter was basically Riku & Sora-centric to show you all how they really feel about what happened. I hope this answers some, if not many, questions you guys might have. The next chapter will also be an explanation chapter except it's Taiyou & Kairi-centric, then the angst will die down slightly and romance will spring up. Seeing as this is a romance/angst story, the angst will be back.  
  
One more thing: We have just scratched the surface of Riku and Sora's past.  
  
Please review. Constructive criticism welcome.  
  
MercuryGoddess 


	13. Trials and Tribulations 13

_Author Notes:_ I have a HUGE announcement so please don't skip this, even though I know you're anxious to read it. I have decided to make this story a trilogy...that means three parts. This is the first part, Trials and Tribulations. It will cover Sora's sophomore year. The second part   
is Ordeals and Obligations, and it will cover Sora's junior year. Finally, the third part, Rules and Regulations, will cover Sora's senior year. And then, that's it! No more. This trilogy is called Dealing with Fate. I told you this because I don't want you guys to be mad when this part ends and Kairi may not be with someone or something like that. So, if this story ends and something you want to happen doesn't happen, there are still two more parts left! That is all.  
  
_Clarification for Princess of Mirrors:_ There should be more emotion instead of just saying it; I do agree with you on that part. As for making their actions justifiable...well, their actions aren't. They know it, and we know it. I didn't try to make it seem like they had an absolute reason to doing it because, to me, it would seem unrealistic if I did. There are some things that we do that are not justifiable, but we still feel the need to do them and yes, it may seem selfish, but there are some points in our lives where we are selfish. Riku and Sora have been hurt a lot - don't they deserve a small chance at being selfish for once? By the way, I only get mad at flames that are about the subject of homosexuality since I already stated my warning. And I think you'll ease up more to the plot in later chapters/parts...especially since I designed a wonderful guy for Taiyou.  
  
_Clarification for Bob:_ You start and finish with saying that the story is good...and then you say its revolting. So, before I make a proper response to this, you will have to make up your mind. smiles  
  
_Clarification for Ominee:_ You will find out later in the story...insert evil laugh here  
  
_Special Thanks To:_ Crimson-cruel, Heather Christi, Uzumaki-sama, Kairi099, Psykre, Twinstar1, Joonie, Ariana, kawaiidark, LovelyLioness57, Kieshar, Lightdemondarkangel, XxSurrealAngelxX, diamondprincess06, Princess of Mirrors, Raven's Light, fxxtidus899, Dreamer, KoaruFan, myredraincoat, Bob, SoraTheSeme, Junsui-san, Aoi Nikko (x2), Raziel, Bob Bob Bob lol jk, Rinoki Rio, Ominee (x3), ChibiCatDemon, YaisaKitty, Rock-Howard-17, crazytomboy1, Van De Fanelia, x Dreamin Of You x, and my Mediainer reviewers Blackrose Thorn, yamichaos(me), sakayume, Echan2, and yaoifangirl!  
  
**Thank You Crytalline Tears For Your Excellent Beta Work!!  
**  
_Disclaimer:_ If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
_Warnings:_ This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
_Rating:_ I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...  
  
_Reminder:_  
  
"..............." Means talking  
  
(...............) Means author notes  
  
.............. Means an action  
  
.............. Means thinking  
  
'...............' Means past sayings  
  
............. Means a place  
  
_Trials and Tribulations   
Chapter Thirteen  
Part One_  
  
'Love is the figment of a fool's imagination; they get a fluttery feeling in their groins and call it love. Remember son: there's hate, and there's lust, but there isn't love.' This was a familiar statement that his father told him this countless times before.  
  
Taiyou knew how much his father lived by that statement and decided that he would do the same. He did exactly what he was told - he chanted the statement like a mantra each day, and even went as far as to shape his life based on what his father said. His father was the epitome of success; why wouldn't he follow in his footsteps?  
  
By the age of twenty-five, Keichiro Tanaka had successfully created the largest chain of electronic stores in the Sidus Archipelago, and he continued to expand it with the help of his wealthy family and sheer determination. He was married to his hand-picked wife, Aneko Sato, at thirty and had his heir to the company at thirty-two. That was the way his life was supposed to go.   
  
So, who was he to mess it up? Who was he to hand over one of the most successful chain of businesses to some unknown when he was the heir, the birthright, of that fortune? If his father lived by that statement and it made him that successful, why shouldn't he follow it?  
  
Why should he break tradition for someone he may not even see again after they graduate?  
  
His thoughts were scattered at the sound of glass meeting concrete, his eyes snapping to the door of Riku's room. He didn't quite know how long he had been up and thinking about his father, but for the moment he didn't care as shouts of anger drifted through the house.  
  
"CUT IT OUT!" he heard Riku scream from downstairs. "JUST CUT IT OUT!"  
  
Using worry as his motivation, he sat up, stretched his tired limbs, and made his way over to the door. He turned the knob of the door as quietly as he could and peeked outside before tiptoeing into the hallway. Bits and pieces of the argument between father and son drifted into his hearing range.   
  
"...mah allowance on tha' bottle..."  
  
"...world...going to end...last...bottle of scotch..."  
  
Taiyou sighed. Yuki must have gotten drunk again. Taking his chances, Taiyou knelt down next to the staircase to hear the conversation more clearly.   
  
"I have a hell of a lot more problems than you do, but you don't see me getting wasted, now do you? For fuck's sake, clean yourself up and don't go in my room. Leave. Taiyou. Alone."  
  
The sound of the door slamming shut followed the angered command almost immediately, and silence filled the house for a few moments before slurred profanities broke it. Taiyou decided to head downstairs so he pulled his hair into a neater ponytail and straightened his wrinkled clothes. He descended the stairs and paused when he spotted the man staggering towards him. He took two steps before collapsing and throwing up on himself. Taiyou backed away in disgust, letting Yuki go though the procedure alone. Yuki was an angry drunk so he knew better than to bother him.   
  
When Yuki could retch no more, he passed out. Taiyou watched the passed out man in pity. His usual tidy silver hair splayed haphazardly on the linoleum floor, saturated with his own vomit that covered most of the area. His clothes were in the same state, and the sections of flesh that peeked out from under the rotten-smelling clothes were littered with tiny, but deep cuts from the shards of glass. Taiyou wrinkled his nose at the sight and smell.  
  
No wonder Riku was upset.  
  
But...  
  
Riku's seen this many times so why would he be so upset? He told Taiyou himself that his father used to do this on a regular basis back when the memory of his wife's death was still fresh in his mind. Never before had he screamed at his father like that. In all actuality, he ignored the scene as if it were a daily occurrence; as if it were something normal to what his father was doing.   
  
Looking down at the mess, Taiyou walked over to the small alcove next to the stove in the kitchen and pulled out a mop and some garbage bags. He took one of the garbage bags and wrapped it around Yuki's long hair. He pulled the older man into sitting position and hoisted him over his shoulder, trying his best to ignore the repugnant smell that rolled off of the passed out man in waves. Stepping over the pile of vomit, Taiyou made his way up the stairs and into the closest room near the staircase, which was the bathroom. He walked directly into the room and gently laid Yuki in the bathtub; he then grabbed the shower head and hosed him down.  
  
That was the best he could do.  
  
---  
  
It took Taiyou close to an hour to finish ridding the kitchen of the glass, the scotch, the vomit, and the smell that followed. All the while, he thought of Riku and Sora - their relationship, their personalities, the people they associate with...and he couldn't help feeling that they were more of a perfect match than he and Riku. Sora was pretty much a passionate person when he came to his feelings. Even though recently he had been able to disguise it, he wears his heart out on his sleeve and tends to let others know exactly how he's feeling, even if he doesn't mean to. Riku, on the other hand, is calm, aloof, and definitely more introverted when feelings come to mind. One cannot completely pinpoint a definite emotion with Riku most of the time; which is opposite of Sora. Yet when the two are together, it compliments one another.   
  
Ying and Yang.  
  
Two halves of a whole.   
  
It didn't take a genius to figure out that what they had between them was special...and that special bond was theirs and theirs alone. Taiyou figured it out the moment he set eyes on their clasped hands back when Kairi was first at the hospital. And he was jealous. Jealous at the fact that, despite the mantra he used to chant when his father was still alive, he couldn't have that strong bond with Riku.   
  
Only Sora could.  
  
Taiyou even conjured up a list to try to explain this situation:  
  
1. Sora has only known Riku for 5 1/2 weeks. Taiyou has known him for two years.  
  
2. Sora knows nothing of Riku's past. Taiyou knows a good chuck of it.  
  
3. Sora has only seen Riku's basic habits. Taiyou has seen public and private habits.  
  
See? The list proves how much Taiyou is closer to Riku than Sora...then why did he feel like the third wheel? Why was he jealous to the point of wanting to hurt Sora? If Taiyou's relationship with Riku was truly solid and compact, then he shouldn't be feeling the way he is. There was always that small cloud of doubt in the back of his mind, whether he was truly in love with Riku or whether Riku was truly in love with him. Sora's targeted statements hit home and caused that said cloud to rise once more.  
  
'You have no right to be jealous of Riku when you're the one who left him in the first place.'  
  
'You don't deserve Riku! Crawling back on your hands and knees and screaming to an EMPTY street that you love him. Bullshit! I know about guys like you.'  
  
'Once a coward, always a coward.'  
  
As harsh as they were, they were true. Every single one of them. He had no right to be jealous of Sora when he was the one who caused his relationship with Riku to become unsteady. He didn't deserve Riku for what he did, and he never said that he loved him in front of people before, not even when they were together. He was a coward, and the likelihood of him running away from future problems was high.  
  
Sora...was right.  
  
But what was he going to do? He was definitely going to apologize to Sora, but when the time comes for him to be alone with Riku, what would he do? Would he be a coward once more and completely and utterly ignore the situation at hand or would he take action and seek out a solution? He was lost, and the only person who could help was Kairi.  
  
Putting away the cleaning supplies, Taiyou looked over his work with pride and walked out to go to the hospital.  
  
-Room 211-  
  
"Thank you, Joyce."  
  
"No problem, sweetie!"  
  
Kairi just finished dressing into her pajamas after Joyce helped her from her wheelchair to the shower, and then to her bed. The plump nurse left the room with a smile on her face, leaving Kairi to the company of her thoughts and the dim lit hospital room. Riku had told her earlier that day that Sora and Taiyou were meeting at his house to talk about what was going on between them, and although she prayed with all her might that it went without problem, she was positive that something must have happened. One, Sora hadn't called when he said he would and Taiyou said he would drop by after the 'meeting.' To top it off, the conversation with Taiyou from a couple of days ago still hung fresh in Kairi's mind.  
  
-Flashback-  
  
"Kairi?" Taiyou called out after setting aside a deck of cards.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"What do you think about Sora and Riku?"  
  
The question was unexpected, and Kairi turned to meet Taiyou's contemplative gaze while eating an Oreo. She mentally cursed him for the emotionless mask he had set in place and took a few moments to come up with an answer. "Well...I think they have a lot in common to become so close so fast."  
  
Taiyou frowned slightly at her admission. "But...don't you find it a little strange? I mean, I'm not saying it's not good to be close to somebody, but..." He sighed before he continued. "I just think they spend a lot of time together."  
  
"It's good to have someone to spend your time with though," Kairi said thoughtfully. "I don't think Sora has really had a real friend since middle school before Riku. There was Tidus and Selphie, but when you really look at their 'friendship' with Sora, you could see that they were just people to hang out with...to talk about meaningless things like the weather or something."  
  
Kairi leaned forward and took Taiyou's hands and squeezed them reassuringly. "It seems that way with Riku too."  
  
Taiyou slowly closed his eyes and rested his head on Kairi's shoulder. "I know," he admitted in a defeated tone, "but isn't Riku supposed to come to me if he needed help? I'm his boyfriend and I hate sitting back and not being able to do anything, but I can't tell if Riku is ok or not...if this close relationship is only because of Sora's struggles instead of Riku and Sora's struggles."  
  
Feeling guilty, Kairi began to rub Taiyou's back softly. From the talks that she and Riku had been having secretly, it seemed that Riku still struggled with something in his past. On many occasions, when she tried to bring up some of his memories, he would just look down and not say a word. She gave him his privacy, but with each passing conversation, her curiosity would get stronger. What happened that made Riku not want to talk about it? Did Taiyou know? How did Taiyou and Riku get together anyway? The only thing she knew was that Taiyou had helped Riku...but in what way?  
  
"I'm sure something will work out, Taiyou," Kairi whispered soothingly. "If Riku has something to tell you, I'm sure he'll come to you when the time is right."  
  
Taiyou looked into her eyes and smiled sadly. "I don't think I'll be the first one he'll go to, Kairi."  
  
-End Flashback-  
  
The small click of the door indicated a visitor, and Kairi looked to the door, hoping it was one of the three boys she was just thinking about. Although she was slightly disappointed that it wasn't Sora, she still smiled brightly as Taiyou stepped into the room and shut the door quietly behind him. When she saw his face, she had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.   
  
Something was wrong.  
  
"Taiyou?"  
  
He raked his fingers though his hair - in the process, taking out the hair tie - and played with the tie as he walked closer to the bed. Kairi's gaze fell from his tear-stained face to the tie he continuously stretched, then looked back up, her concern rising. "Taiyou, what's the matter? What happened at Riku's house tonight?"  
  
He didn't bother asking her where she found out about the meeting, only plopping down heavily on her bed and letting out a deep sigh. "Some feelings were exchanged tonight, as planned, and I guess it went farther than expected."  
  
Kairi shifted her weight so that she was now facing her seated friend. She rose her hand to his face and traced the tear stains, her eyes widening with worry. "Why were you crying, Taiyou?" she asked as if he were her child. "Tell me why you were crying."  
  
Taiyou leaned into the touch while wrapping his arms around her waist. She pushed down the uncomfortable feeling. "I'm fine, Kairi. No need to be worried. Some of the things that were said were just...a little harsh that's all."  
  
"To the point of making you cry?!" Kairi exclaimed in anger. "Even I haven't seen you cry and I have known you the longest. Who made you cry?"  
  
Taiyou mentally cursed himself. He was already on Sora's bad side. If he told Kairi, they might get into an argument and Sora would come after him...  
  
"Look, I'll try not to be too angry. Just tell me; was it Riku...or was it Sora?"  
  
A pause. "It was Sora."  
  
Silence.  
  
"There were some things he said that stuck a nerve. It was no big deal, especially since he was right."  
  
"What did he say?" Her voice was full of barely suppressed anger, and the tone of her voice made Taiyou wince. She tended to lecture people when she was angry. He braced himself. "Well, he called me a coward and told me that I don't deserve Riku...and said I had no right to be jealous when I was the one who left Riku in the first place."  
  
"He SAID those things?!" Kairi asked incredulously.  
  
Taiyou nodded, but quickly regretted it as he saw the expression on her face darken. "It's not as bad as it sounds, you know."  
  
"What do you mean 'not as bad?' Those statements were harsh and...and cruel!"  
  
She stopped rubbing his back and leaned completely out of his embrace, crossing her arms with an absolute look of anger on her face. "He shouldn't have said those things to you."  
  
"He was angry...I said some things too..."  
  
"Were they just as harsh and cruel?" she asked with a hint of disappointment.  
  
"No..."  
  
"Then it's no excuse!"  
  
She leaned to the right and picked up the phone. Taiyou panicked. "K-Kairi?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"Let's talk to Riku before we talk to Sora, ok? I'm sure he can explain some things more clearly."  
  
Kairi eyed Taiyou with suspicion, but nevertheless, gave Taiyou the phone to dial Riku's number. He let out a breath of relief and dialed his boyfriend's cell phone number.  
  
Watching patiently, Kairi felt her anger die down at Taiyou's worried expression. She saw him hang up the phone and dial his number once more, but to no avail. "He never turns his phone off..."  
  
'CUT IT OUT! JUST CUT IT OUT!'  
  
Taiyou put the phone down, got up, and headed to the door, all worries of Kairi's wrath set aside. Only one thing mattered at the moment.  
  
Riku.  
  
"Where are you going?" Kairi asked while sitting up.  
  
"To look for Riku."  
  
---  
  
_Trials and Tribulations  
Chapter Thirteen  
Part Two  
_  
"I need to go."  
  
Riku backed away as he raked his fingers through his hair. He avoided eye contact with Sora, all the while making his way to the window and getting ready to climb out.  
  
"Wait."  
  
Riku paused, and he tilted his head just enough to see Sora out the corner of his eye. The younger boy was shifting from foot to foot, eyes cast downward, and his hands entwined behind his back.   
  
"What was that for?"  
  
His voice sounded hopeful with an underlying dread. Riku sighed. "I don't know."  
  
Sora met Riku's gaze this time, his hands now untwined and balling into a fist. "You don't know?" Sora asked Riku; as if he were talking to a small child. "How could you not know?"  
  
"I JUST DON'T, OK?" Riku shouted as he turned to fully face Sora. "I just...it's hard to explain."  
  
"Well explain. I got time and obviously, so do you."  
  
"What exactly do you want me to say, Sora?" His voice dropped to a mere whisper, yet it still had the power and intensity of a shout. "Do you want me to get down on one knee and confess my undying love for you while pulling out a dozen roses? Do you want me to say I can't live my life without you because you are my air and carry you off into moonlight where we live happily ever after? Well, I'm not going to confess anything or do anything remotely romantic because life is not a fucking fairy tale and we don't always get what we want!"  
  
Sora opened his mouth to speak, but Riku abruptly cut him off. "Let me finish--"  
  
"No, I think I've heard about enough," Sora said while crossing his arms. "You felt the need to make it clear to me that there's going to be no romance novel bullshit going on."  
  
Riku involuntarily winced at the acidic tone Sora's voice transformed into. "I wasn't hoping for you to make a love confession. No, I was hoping that a dragon would burst in here and capture me and because you love me oh-so-much, you would jump on your white stallion, ride for days on end without food, water, or supplies to heal the deep gashes you have conveniently placed on your well-toned chest and biceps, and save me from the dragon. Then it would be happily ever after."  
  
"Sora..."  
  
Sora shook his head and took a seat on the floor. His brows were furrowed in thought, and he took deep, steady breaths before looking up at Riku. "Why don't you tell me what's got you so strung?"  
  
Riku stared at him in disbelief. Was it really that obvious? And where was the sarcasm from just minutes before?   
  
"What?"  
  
"Riku, you came to my house, gave me a passionate kiss, and then got angry because I asked you why." Sora let out an amused chuckle, a sad smile gracing his features afterward. "I think   
  
I know you well enough...you don't do stuff like that out of the blue.  
  
Forgetting the swelling anger in the pit of his stomach, Riku plopped down next to Sora and buried his face in his hands. "The more I thought about the deal, the more complex it seemed to get."  
  
Sora nodded in agreement. He had thought about it too within the last two hours. Riku continued. "Taiyou's still asleep, but my father was drunk again, and I guess that kinda made me sore."  
  
They sat in silence for several moments, Sora assessing the situation while Riku bowed his head in shame. He shouldn't have snapped at Sora like that...  
  
"Then let's just...forget what happened between us."  
  
The phrase was whispered so lowly that Riku almost didn't hear it, but when he turned and saw the expression of absolution on Sora's face, hurt briefly settled into Riku's expression before switching to cold indifference. "That won't solve anything."  
  
"Actually, it will."  
  
Riku raised a single eyebrow. "Care to elaborate?"  
  
"Well, a lot has been happening this past month, and those events are really the ones we need to work on. This...thing...that we have would just be added stress. We can deal with this once everything has...settled down?"  
  
He was asking himself more than confirming it with Riku. Riku caught the hesitation in his voice and sighed deeply. "That won't work and you know it. We might as well talk about it now."  
  
"I guess we could try to destroy it while it's small, but---"  
  
"Destroy it?!"  
  
Riku crossed his arms and was now glaring at Sora with more anger than before. "You make it see like this relationship is some kind of disease that's unwanted and unsatisfactory."  
  
"Riku, I---"  
  
"Listen to me!" he interrupted while standing up, glaring down at the younger boy before him. "We can't just store it away in the back of our minds and act like this never happened. I can tell you want this as much as I do, and---"  
  
"You don't want this!" Sora accused, also standing up. "You were terrified after that last kiss. Forgetting it would do us both the favor!"  
  
Riku fell silent as he cast his eyes downward. "I was terrified," he mumbled," because I never had a kiss like that before."  
  
"What are you talking about? You've kissed me before, and you've kissed other people before so how could you not have had a kiss like that before? A kiss is a kiss!"  
  
"It was different!"  
  
"Whatever, Riku, I'm not going to argue with you over a stupid kiss." He suddenly seemed exhausted. "What are we supposed to do? Continue this thing and run the risk of breaking Kairi's and Taiyou's heart?"  
  
"No..."  
  
"Then what should we do?! It's all or nothing; there's is no in-between!"  
  
"Well, we should try to think of something instead of running away like a coward."  
  
"This isn't a matter of cowardice," Sora growled as he inched closer. "It's a matter of morals. I will not cheat on Kairi. Just because your relationship with Taiyou is shaky doesn't mean---"  
  
"SHAKY!" Riku yelled as he shortened the distance between himself and Sora, "And who's fucking fault is that?!"  
  
"His!" Sora yelled just as loud. "He's the one who's jealous!"  
  
"Only because you've given him a reason to be!"  
  
"No excuse! If Taiyou is jealous of me for being your best friend, then your relationship has got some serious issues!"  
  
Riku froze. Does this idiot even realize that if he hadn't been so fucking clingy that this situation wouldn't have happened in the first place? That Taiyou wouldn't have cried himself to sleep today for the first time? That this damn KISS would never have happened and they wouldn't even be arguing with each other? All of this was his fault! Giving into the tidal wave of rage that washed over him, Riku grabbed Sora by the collar and slammed his fist directly into his nose, causing the cinnamon brown-haired boy to fall back on the bed while clutching his nose. Blood trickled in small streams down the sides of nose and pooled in the crevice of his mouth as he watched Riku struggle to regulate his breathing. "Fuck you, Sora Miyazaki!" he spat as he nursed his fist in his other hand. "You're the one who caused this royal mess in the first place! Kado was no one else's enemy except yours. Maybe if you had kept your fucking head out the clouds, none of this would ever have had to happen!"  
  
He ignored the tears springing into his eyes, and before Sora could retaliate or retort, he spun on his heel and stormed out of the room without forgetting to add his last thought: "And go to someone else with your fucked up problems! I'm sick and tired of being the shoulder you cry on!"  
  
Riku shut the door - not giving in to the urge to slam it shut - and descended the stairs, schooling his features to form a pleasant smile. Mrs. Miyazaki sat at the kitchen table, concern etched in her features after hearing the loud argument from upstairs. Riku took a deep breath, and smiled as politely as he could. "Thank you for allowing me to stay in Sora's room while he was away."  
  
She gave a small nod. "Is everything alright, sweetheart?"  
  
"Yes, ma'am. Just a small argument. Nothing really to worry about."  
  
"Riku...?"  
  
Silent tears were streaming down his face although he was still smiling. "It's fine, Mrs. Miyazaki, just fine."  
  
Slowly making his way to the front door, he whispered one more time for his reassurance, "Just fine."  
  
He jumped in his car and sped out of the driveway and onto the road, barely missing the mailbox cloaked in darkness. He drove past by his house and drove directly to the beach, climbing out and running to the edge of the water.   
  
Collapsing, he let out the sob he held in since talking to Mrs. Miyazaki and gave into all of the pent up sadness and anger. His breath came out faster as his heart constricted painfully in his chest, and as he took in one last shuddery breath, he passed out.  
  
---  
  
Sora sat on his bed and stared at the door, unaware of the minutes that ticked by. His nose was still bleeding, but he didn't care.   
  
Because nothing - absolutely nothing - matter anymore.  
  
He lost his source of comfort...and he was pretty sure it was permanent. Once again, he spoke before he thought it over and wound up costing him the most comfort he had in a very long time. It was as if someone decided to rip out the happiness he recently experienced and dangle it in front of his face, just out of reach, but not out of sight, torturing him endlessly and reminding him that Fate decided to screw him over at every chance of happiness since his day of birth.  
  
This pain...it was something he had never felt. Not when Kairi betrayed him for the first time. Not when Irvine and his group of friends played that horrendous joke on him.  
  
Not even when Irvine left him.   
  
His mother had come to check on him; she cleaned up most of the blood and told him to stop the flow, but a blank stare was the only response as she left the room. She also informed him that he had a visitor. He continued to stare at the door until it was pushed opened and revealed the person he really didn't want see.  
  
Taiyou.   
  
Even though he looked slightly out of breath with his eyes widened in alarm, Sora stared at him with controlled hatred. He saw Taiyou grimace at the expression. "What do you want?"  
  
"I'm looking for Riku."  
  
"Well, he's not here anymore, and do you want to know why?"  
  
Sora didn't wait for him to answer as he stood up from the bed, tears building up in his eyes. "Because of you! You, with your little jealous fit and crocodile tears afterward! You took MY source of comfort away because of your insecurities!" He jabbed a finger at his nose. "Wanna know what he said after he slammed his fist in my fucking nose?! He said, 'And go to someone else with your fucked up problems! I'm sick and tired of being the shoulder you cry on!'"  
  
Falling to his knees, Sora buried his face into his lap and cried, saying no more to Taiyou. Taiyou backed away in horror, and the guilt from earlier increased tenfold. What would happen now that Riku and Sora's friendship was destroyed?  
  
-Beach-  
  
The police officer slammed on the brakes when he reached the shoreline, almost crashing into the pole when he saw a silver-haired boy sprawled out on the beach. He could spot that silver hair from a mile away; it was like the mark of his friend Yuki's family. He was almost absolutely positive that this boy was Riku, his son, and from a distance, he looked to be dead. He didn't care how he got here - the only thing he was set on was getting Riku to the hospital.  
  
Picking up the heap off the sandy shore, he ran to the car and gently put him inside, grabbing his radio. "Hey Jim?"  
  
"Yessir?"  
  
"Contact my buddy Yuki. His kid was just found unconscious on the beach."  
  
"Yessir!"  
  
"And be quick about it! He don't look like he has any injuries, but I'm taking him to the hospital as fast as I can."  
  
---  
  
Finished! I won't take as long as last time. Constructive criticism welcome.  
  
MercuryGoddess


	14. Trials and Tribulations 14

_Author Notes:_ I know a trilogy will be slightly difficult, but since this is my main project I'm going to go through with it. I'm glad most of you are excited about it.  
  
_Special Thanks To:_ Lightdemondarkangel, AkaiUsagi, Ayekami, Kairi099, Oceaneyed Songstress, camigirl4k3, Ariana, Uzumaki-sama, Draconis-Donavan, myredraincoat, Junsui-san, Twinstar1, ChibiCatDemon, Van de Fanelia, Illorion, Joonie, chibi chidori16, fxxtidus899, TinyClownBean1, inumoon3, BloodMistress, addmoose2004, Discordia-Erebus, Lana, Tachi, diamond-princess2006, Katca Mcadar, crowvii, Ickis Krumm, Rock-Howard-17, Tofuu, takuya89, jessi, NiGhTrIkKu, MissHieibadboy, IchigoPocky, and my Mediaminer reviewers Echan2, Sakayume, Alliejo, and shadygurl!  
  
**Special Thanks To Crystalline Tears For Her Excellent Beta Work!  
**  
_Disclaimer:_ If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!  
  
_Warnings:_ This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!  
  
_Rating:_ I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters.

**Added Note:** I do have an update list. People who review are automatically added, but if it is an anoynomous review or your email is not available for public access, then just leave in it the review or send me an email at saying you would like to join. Thanks!  
  
_Trials and Tribulations _

_Chapter Fourteen  
_  
It had always been a habit; to wake up alert and aware in unfamiliar surroundings. It was something he learned back in his bleak childhood and was a habit he didn't bother trying to break. At times like this, he was grateful that he didn't break the habit, for as soon as he opened his eyes, he surveyed the area and knew he was currently in the hospital.  
  
Riku didn't even need reminding as to why he was here. The intense, almost overwhelming, emotions he felt were still there, lurking behind the perfect calm countenance he erected for himself. While sitting up, Riku did two things simultaneously: he adjusted the paper thin cotton pajama shirt and spotted three figures in his room, one of them actually within arms length. Taiyou lay on the bed - upper torso and head on the bed while the rest of his body was in a chair - and one of his hands was entwined with Riku's. Sora and Kairi were curled up together in a large armchair in the far right corner. Both figures were snoring softly.  
  
It might have been a pleasant, even adorable sight if a sharp pang of jealously hadn't coursed through Riku's body.  
  
"Thank goodness you're awake."  
  
Taiyou brought Riku into a bone-crushing embrace and stroked the nape of his boyfriend's neck. Pang forgotten, Riku melted into the embrace and placed a chaste kiss on Taiyou's cheek. "I need to breathe, Taiyou."  
  
Albeit loosening his grip, Taiyou still didn't let go. "Do you know how long it's been?"  
  
Riku cocked his head to the side as an answer to the question. "Three days. It's been three days since they found you on the beach and brought you here. They said you would wake up, but..."  
  
He trailed off, unable to voice his thoughts but somehow knowing that Riku would understand. He did, and tightened his arms around Taiyou's neck as a nonverbal thank you.  
  
"I guess I'll tell the others that he's up."  
  
Riku picked up the phrase just as he saw Sora plant a small kiss on Kairi's forehead and ease her back on the armchair. The younger boy crossed the room and only once did they make eye contact. Despite the awkwardness he felt, Riku locked eyes with Sora and mentally fumed at the guarded expression he saw.  
  
It was the look reserved for associates, the newly acquainted, or people he didn't know at all.  
  
And it hurt.  
  
It hurt to be on the receiving end of that expression.  
  
"I'll go, Sora."  
  
The reaction was immediate: Sora stopped in his tracks and looked at Taiyou with an air of indifference, and Riku broke out of the comfortable, much-needed embrace to silently demand what was going on. Taiyou ignored the questioning look and slide out of the chair, beckoning Sora to sit in his place.  
  
Sora sat with a frown on his face.  
  
"I'll go with you, Taiyou," Kairi spoke up for the first time. She made her way over to the brunette. "I need to get used to walking again anyways."  
  
Making sure Taiyou was not helping her, Kairi walked out the room, Taiyou in tow, and left the two boys alone. As soon as the door 'clicked' shut, Sora turned to Riku, the frown on his face transforming to an angry sneer. "How old are you?!"  
  
Sora stood up abruptly, too angry, too furious, to notice the startled look on Riku's face. He continued to rant. "Is this what you do when you don't get your way?! Oh poor woeful me, I just found out that life isn't fair so I'm going to starve and exhaust myself to the point of collapse! Oh poor me!"  
  
He gesticulated wildly to emphasize his point, unaware of the smile growing on Riku's face.  
  
"Three days you lay on that bed with a tube stuck in your arm! 'Sleeping like the dead' my mom would say on a daily basis and you were! Jeez, you were like a corpse, and Garnet was crying, Nami was picking on me like I took a chair and knocked you out, Sakura bit down all of her nails..."  
  
"Sora..."  
  
"Jiro was keeping Taiyou from falling into the same state and don't get me started on Leon and Cloud. When they weren't in here, they were at it like rabbits in an empty hospital room!"  
  
"Sora!"  
  
The rant immediately stopped, leaving Sora and Riku to just watch each other in silence. Sora was breathing hard, face flushed, and his eyes were shining brightly with worry and concern. Riku had to laugh at the sight.  
  
So he did.  
  
He threw his head back and howled with laughter, laughing even harder at the look of incredulity on Sora's face. He couldn't help it though. Sora babbling was one of the most adorable things he had ever seen.  
  
Grabbing the bewildered boy, Riku pulled him into an embrace. "All you had to say was that you were worried."  
  
"I know," Sora confessed as he blushed deeply. "I babbled, didn't I?"  
  
Riku laughed once more, this time from the blush that was rapidly spreading across Sora's face. "In the most delightful way."  
  
The blush increased, but Sora responded to the embrace by settling on Riku's right side so that Riku's right arm lay across his shoulders. Riku, still laughing, wiped the tears of mirth from his eyes. "Were you really that worried?"  
  
Sora shrugged, trying in vain to not let the concern he felt build up over these past days slip into his voice. "72 hours is a long time to be out, if it was supposedly not that serious, don't you think?"  
  
Watching Sora, Riku felt as if a large burden had been lifted off of his shoulders. He was so relieved that Sora still cared about him that he almost laughed out loud once more. He said some horrible things to Sora, and ultimately, ended their friendship. Amid the fact that he was starving, he was fully rested and almost stress free, causing him to reevaluate the accusations and proclamations made.  
  
"So...since when are you an anorexic insomniac and how did you hide it so well?"  
  
"It sounds really awful when you put it that way," Riku observed as he felt his good mood dampen at the question. "And it hasn't been happening for that long. These last few weeks have just been kinda stressful, that's all."  
  
"Riku, you passed out and stayed out for three days. How has it not been happening for a long time?"  
  
"Oi, Riku!"  
  
Thanking whatever deity decided to help out, Riku turned to the hospital door to see Jiro, Sakura, and Nami rushing over to the bed. Jiro clapped a hand on his back. "Oh thank the heavens you're up!! These womenfolk were absolutely driving me nuts!"  
  
"You were with Taiyou all the time!" Nami huffed.  
  
"Exactly."  
  
Everyone laughed at the perfectly executed joke, even Sora chuckling at the silly antics of his friend. The atmosphere was a bit more at ease now that the three friends were in the room, but as Riku turned to look at Sora, he knew that would have to have that important talk that would decide the fate of their friendship and relationships with Kairi and Taiyou. But for now he had time to just relax, be calm, and celebrate the fact that Riku had woken up and was looking much healthier than when he first came in.  
  
Nami fussed, Sakura observed, and Jiro joked, making the visiting hours marginally more pleasant for Riku. Not that Sora couldn't do that alone; it was, in fact, one of the reasons why they became best friends in the first place, but as of now, their friendship was straddling the barrier between existent and nonexistent.  
  
However, there would be a time to talk about that.  
  
It wasn't until hours later that Nami stood up and announced the ending of visiting hours. Judging from Jiro's story, Nami didn't quite get along with the nurse in charge of Riku, therefore by avoiding her at all costs she could be able to ignore the urge to hit the lady. Nami walked to the door, blew a kiss to Riku, glared at Sora, and left the room, followed by a laughing Jiro. Sora followed them and left Riku alone with Sakura.  
  
Playing with a strand of her purple hair, Sakura walked to the edge of the bed and grabbed Riku's hand. He watched her with mild curiosity - seeing as though she was usually attached to Nami - and squeezed her hand in what he hoped to be reassuring. "Anything wrong, Sakura?"  
  
She watched him for a few more moments before she spoke. "Sora was the most worried out of all of us, you know," she informed him timidly. "He was more worried than Taiyou and that's saying a lot."  
  
Riku opened his mouth to make a comment, but Sakura gently placed a finger on his lips. "I saw him last night, here, alone. I was on my way home from work and got you some flowers, and I saw him here, holding your hand as if it was going to suddenly disappear... and he was apologizing."  
  
"Apologizing?"  
  
"'I'm so sorry for putting down your relationship with Taiyou,' he had said. 'Please forgive me! I don't want to lose you as a best friend!'"  
  
Tugging Sakura into an embrace, Riku let out a sigh of a relief before he said, "Thank you for telling me."  
  
She hugged back enthusiastically and smiled when she pulled out of his embrace. "I don't know what happened to make Sora apologize like that, but he genuinely seemed sorry. Just keep that in mind! Nami will kill him if this happens again."  
  
They both laughed as Sakura made her way to the door. She stopped when she spotted Sora at the door, and smiled at him when he smiled at her. She turned back to Riku and waved goodbye as she left the room. The two boys were once again left alone.  
  
Sora quietly shut the door behind him before he situated himself back on Riku's right side. The two sat in a companionable silence before Riku sighed and started to speak. "We need to talk."  
  
Letting out a dry laugh, Sora tore his gaze from the numerous flowers in the room to Riku. "I know. There's no escaping it, is there?"  
  
A shake of the head was the only response.  
  
Silence reigned over the two once more, this time being awkward and very uncomfortable. Each were gathering their thoughts; formulating it into something the other person may be able to understand. Riku finished first and began to speak.  
  
"I didn't hit you because you insulted my relationship with Taiyou, Sora. I hit you because you were right about most of the things you said; and of course, denial, thy name is Riku."  
  
Sora kept his eyes trained on Riku.  
  
"Taiyou shouldn't be jealous of a best friend, and that fact hit me like a ton of bricks when you said it out loud. For the last two weeks, there has been this voice nagging me in the back of my head. It kept telling me how Taiyou shouldn't be acting this way; but of course, I ignored it simply because it's the easiest thing to do. The coward's way of handling things that need to be dealt with was the way I dealt with it, and when you made that clear, I got so pissed because I believed - no, knew - that I wasn't a coward.  
  
"I've never been the type of person to run away when the going gets tough. It was one of the qualities that I actually liked about myself and was prided in. In fact, courage is something I hold in the highest regard. But you started pointing out all of the truths that had been buried away in the back of my mind, and it reminded me of the cowardly act of not acting upon them right away. I got so pissed when you did that, Sora, not to mention the fact that I was still in denial about the whole thing even though the truths were pointed out and brought up.  
  
"I don't want to lose you, Sora, but please don't make me choose between you and Taiyou because in the end, I will choose my boyfriend for the sake of the right thing. Both of you need to know that."  
  
Riku fell silent and broke eye contact between Sora and himself. He was no longer able to look in Sora's eyes after his last declaration. "Who do you want to choose, Riku?"  
  
Looking back up, Riku watched Sora stare at a solitary point on the wall in front of him. "It doesn't matter."  
  
"It does matter! This is not about what I want, Taiyou wants, or the strangers you are so intent pleasing want! This is about you; it's your decision and your decision alone!"  
  
Riku smiled sadly as he looked forward. "It's not that simple, Sora, and you know it. Someone will get hurt in the end; it's a lose-lose situation."  
  
"What do you want to be when you grow up?" Sora shifted his gaze to Riku as he asked with a calm expression on his face.  
  
"Well," Riku was slightly started at the abrupt change in conversation, "I would like to be a psychiatrist."  
  
"Jeez, no wonder you were so good at helping me with my issues! [Riku laughed at this.] Anyways, is your father ok with this?"  
  
A pause. "He wanted me to be a judge actually."  
  
"And he will be hurt at the fact that you don't want to be a judge. Does that mean you should give up your dream of becoming a psychiatrist because of what he wants?"  
  
"Well, no, but--"  
  
"No buts! It's the same concept. You should do what you want to do, not for the 'sake of what's right.' So what if it seems a bit shady that you picked your best friend over your boyfriend. If it will make you happy, that is all that matters. But don't ever say you will do something just for the sake of what's right, Riku. That is a very black and white statement; have you forgotten the areas of gray?"  
  
They fell into silence once more.  
  
"I want to choose you."  
  
Riku laughed a broken laugh, one filled with deep anguish and vitriol. "That's what I want, but life is never that simple. When I was a freshman and with Taiyou, I didn't care about anyone's opinion, because to me it felt so right and it made me so happy when I was in hard times. But now...many thoughts come up like 'what would my mother say if I picked my best friend over my boyfriend?' or 'how would my older brother react to the fact that I left my boyfriend on the sole reason of liking another?' Even if my mother is deceased, I still think of how she would react to the decisions I made. I feel...guilty."  
  
Riku scooted even closer to Sora and wrapped his right arm around the other boy's waist. "But I don't truly want to stop doing this. I like the way you make me feel - you have the ability to make me lose my control and feel...I don't know...passionate? Jeez, now I sound like a lovesick girl mooning over a celebrity!"  
  
He swung his legs over the edge of the bed, distancing himself from Sora, and stood up, looking down at the pajamas in disgust. He purposely avoiding the piercing gaze of Sora and headed to the small bathroom. "I'm not good with discussing feelings, but if you sit down I will try."  
  
Riku mentally cursed himself. He was doing it again; running away from his problems before he had a chance to look them over. In actuality, he was terrified of what Sora's reaction might be. He just poured his heart out more than he has ever done to Taiyou, but what was Sora going to do? Accept his feelings? Say that you are disgusting and shouldn't be feeling this way when you have a boyfriend? Try to explain to him that this was abnormal behavior? He didn't know, nor did he care to find out, but he was not going to be a coward. He was going to sit down, look Sora in the eye, and let him speak, just like Sora did for him!  
  
Albeit stiffly, Riku sat down on the armchair in the corner and watched Sora through thick bangs. His head was bowed so that Sora could not see his reaction, yet he was able to see Sora's reaction.  
  
A two way mirror so to speak.  
  
"No."  
  
Riku looked up to see Sora smiling brightly while patting the empty space beside him. "Come on! I'm getting cold."  
  
Feeling new confidence thanks to Sora's smile, Riku strutted over to the hospital bed and plopped down, smiling as well, as he felt Sora snuggle against his side and lay his head on his chest. "I was so scared of you, did you know that? Back when we first met on the first day of school? I don't know why, but you made me want to run away from you and to you at the same time, which in itself, is confusing. But I just figured out the reason why.  
  
"For a good chuck of my life, I have been betrayed. By the people I loved...trusted. Fate has continuously screwed me over with the same method; betrayal. So I lost faith in people's ability to uphold trust and loyalty. I mean, they could just decide that on the day that they have gained my complete trust to just do something cruel to me to have a good laugh and that's that. But when I saw you, I saw a person I could completely trust or, at least, someone that would understand, because you looked like you had been through as many hardships as myself, and even though they may not have been the same as mine, it still would have separate us from everyone else.  
  
"I had a first love as well, Riku, and he betrayed me. So no, denial, thy name is not Riku, but thy name is Sora. I went back to being 'straight' so to speak after the betrayal, but after I saw you, well...umm..." Sora rubbed the back of his neck purely out of embarrassment, thinking of the naughty images he had thought of Riku back when they first met. Riku let Sora wallow in embarrassment before he said, "I know."  
  
Sighing in relief since he didn't have to explain, Sora continued. "My point is that I understand you in more ways than you realize so there is no need to keep it bottled up inside to the point where you can't take it anymore. I also would have to make a choice if Kairi was demanding me like Taiyou were you, and do you know who I would want to choose? You. I feel like I could really truly trust you and show you my real self."  
  
"But you don't, do you?"  
  
"Don't what?"  
  
"Show me your real self."  
  
Sora turned away from Riku. It was true; he doesn't show anyone his real self simply out of caution. It was the easiest way to get hurt, he learned a long time ago, and he vowed to himself that he wouldn't get into the same situation he was in back in middle school. But Riku was breaking down all of his defenses and as the days moved on he found it harder and harder to keep up the mask, even if it was up purely out of habit. That loneliness...that isolation he felt was starting to wane because of Riku, and the feeling he got from it was something he wanted to be permanent.  
  
Looking back at Riku, he saw the older boy's gaze still on him. "I..."  
  
"You don't." It was a statement rather than a question, for Riku already know the answer. Sora didn't show him his real self and that fact hurt as much as the guarded expression Sora threw his way mere hours before. "Why?"  
  
"Because old habits die hard. Because I'm scared that history will repeat itself. Because I feel safe when I'm this way."  
  
Riku leaned down until his mouth was level with Sora's left ear and kissed the outer shell of the ear. "Do you want to show me?"  
  
Sora shivered involuntarily from the touch and Riku's breath that continuously caressed his ear. "Yes," he breathed out, his pulse quickening at Riku's closeness. "I do."  
  
"Then show me."  
  
The imperious tone was so tempting to listen to; he almost dropped years of practiced emotional guarding just to listen to the older boy. But he hesitated. "I...c-can't. I haven't even shown Kairi yet, and she's my girlfriend."  
  
"Sure doesn't seem like it!"  
  
Riku backed away at the sound of Kairi's voice and stared at her in muted horror. She crossed the room with several quick strides and stopped in front of Sora, her amethyst eyes flashing with ire. She raised her hand and slapped him clearly across the face. The sound resounded in the air, and the tension was heightened, not only by her appearance but by the appearance of Taiyou as well.  
  
His face was unreadable.  
  
The color from Sora's face literally drained as he fingered the throbbing area. "Kairi--"  
  
"I heard everything! You are so stupid, don't you know that Sora?!"  
  
Sora bowed his head in shame as Riku stood up to defend himself and Sora, but Taiyou stopped him with a stern glare. "I'm breaking it off with you, Sora."  
  
---  
  
"Hurry up, Leon! We need to get to the hospital to see Riku and the others!"  
  
"I know that. Calm down."  
  
"I'm just excited, ok? Justice will finally be served to that asshole Kado and I got the person who will do it right here and you are going extra slow! This is good news that needs to be shared!"  
  
"And it will when I'm done."  
  
"Am I bothering you guys? I am new to town and haven't been able to send a ferry to City Isle to get my car. This must be an problem for you."  
  
"Oh not at all. Besides, I'd be happy to do something that would serve as a thank you for doing this for us."  
  
"No problem, Mr...?"  
  
"Just call me Cloud. And the idiot in the bathroom is Leon."  
  
A grunt.  
  
Laughter. "Well, you can call me Ryo. So what's the deal, Cloud?"  
  
"Well, a friend of mine, Kairi Tatewaki, was raped by a classmate named Kado Yamahashi about two weeks ago. Afterwards, he packed his bags and moved to City Isle."  
  
"Miss Tatewaki...is she ok?"  
  
"Physically, she's getting better..."  
  
Silence.  
  
"It's scum like that...Well, I'll do everything in my power to get that sack of shit in prison! I'll get him in there before you can say 'kill him!'"  
  
"...I like your enthusiasm."  
  
"Let's go."  
  
"About time you're ready! Remember: We talk to the doctor and Ms. Tatewaki first, ok?"  
  
"Whatever."  
  
---  
  
"Breaking...it off?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
Sora's head snapped up at the absolute tone in Kairi's voice, unshed tears of helplessness filling his eyes. His hands began to shake as he tried to give a decent explanation. "N-No...Kairi, please forgive me! I can't help feeling this way...I'm sorry if it made me lose your trust, but you have to believe me! I--"  
  
"Are you always this self-consumed?"  
  
Sora closed his mouth immediately at the insulting question and once again bowed his head to block his ex-girlfriend from sight. Why did this have to happen? Why did they come back now of all times? Just when Riku was beginning to understand just some of how he works?  
  
"I mean, I'm not breaking up with you because you were emotionally cheating on me."  
  
Sora froze. Why was there amusement in her voice?  
  
"Jeez, you should be ashamed, though! Emotionally cheating on me with a wonderful, gorgeous, smart guy like Riku! You should have had more control considering the fact that you were with him like everyday, you tend to lean more towards liking guys than girls, AND he helped you with problems I couldn't possibly understand! What's wrong with you?"  
  
Risking a glance, Sora saw Kairi smiling softly as she sat on the bed and pretended to scold him in mock anger. He looked into her eyes fully, utterly bewildered at the sarcastic tone, and cocked his head to the side in silent questioning. She smiled brighter. "I didn't hit you because of that; I hit you because you keep holding back from everyone and with that type of attitude, you'll never get anywhere. You shouldn't have to hide your real self, Sora, and you shouldn't hide it from such wonderful people such as ourselves either!"  
  
She giggled and moved forward to cup Sora's face in her hands. "And I'm not breaking up with you because of him," she exclaimed while pointing at Riku, who just stared at her with newfound respect, "I'm breaking up with you because A) this...accident...with Kado has stirred me up and I need some time alone for a while to adjust to small things like hugs or sudden movements and B) I want you to be completely happy, and over the last few days, it became apparent that the silver-haired goof over there who exhausted himself makes you happy."  
  
Riku glared at her for the 'goof' comment. She stuck her tongue out at him in return.  
  
Turning back to Sora, Kairi brought him into a farewell hug, struggling to keep the smile on her face despite her recent loss. "Be happy, Sora. That's all I ask."  
  
Sora was still in shock so he nodded once before looking over at Taiyou. His face remained unreadable, but the shifting of foot to foot, Sora could tell that he was having an inner battle. There was no tension as the four friends sat in silence, but Sora, Riku, and Kairi watched Taiyou with equal anticipation. He turned to them with a small smile on his face. "If you are expecting me to break up with Riku right now, that's not going to happen."  
  
The group erupted into laughter.  
  
"But." The change of seriousness in the tone was obvious. "We do need to talk, Riku."  
  
Sighing, Riku nodded slowly, already dreading the serious conversation. He had just begun to straighten out some things with Sora, and they weren't even finished yet. But at least he was beginning to move forward instead of coming to a standstill.  
  
"And so do we, Sora! I heard about the things you said to Taiyou!"  
  
Riku looked over to see Sora wincing as Kairi continued to rant about the 'cruel and absolutely unnecessary' statements made about Taiyou. He laughed softly.  
  
Life was finally starting to look up.  
  
---  
  
The night passed with food fights, poker, and extensive tutoring. Kairi was still in need of another English lesson, and did much better than her study session almost three weeks ago. All of them had to catch up on their studies - Riku more so since he was out of school for the past three days - so the four friends brought in a table from the lounge and settled in to get some work done. No matter how much they had tried to concentrate, each of them couldn't stick with homework for long.  
  
Kairi brought in her cards for poker.  
  
The head nurse had given up on trying to keep Taiyou, Sora, and Kairi out of Riku's room since day one, and the doctors knew and loved Kairi so they allowed her to stay. Any friends of Kairi were friends of the doctors, not to mention Sora's father being one of the most respected and prominent doctors in the hospital. The four friends took advantage of that by packing extra clothes and storing them in Kairi or Riku's hospital room for an overnight stay.  
  
It was now morning, and after a few tests and a promise to eat plenty during the next two weeks, Riku was released from the hospital. Kairi, Sora, Riku, and Taiyou were in Kairi's hospital room along with Dr. Miyazaki, Ms. Tatewaki, Aki, Jiro, Nami, and Sakura. The three adults appeared to be extremely happy, and claimed they had some good news for the kids. The friends waited in anticipation.  
  
"Well, we have some great news and some excellent news," Dr. Miyazaki exclaimed cheerfully. "Which do you want to hear first?"  
  
"Let's hear the great news first, pops," Sora said while doing a small victory dance. "Is that ok with you, Kai?"  
  
"Mm, yea," Kairi answered while yawning. "Let's hurry up, I want to go back to sleep!"  
  
Riku leaned in close to her and whispered to her in a conspiratorial voice, "It's noon, or have you not noticed?"  
  
"So? A girl needs her beauty sleep." She sniffed and lifted her nose in the air aristocratically.  
  
"Yea, you do, don't you?"  
  
Kairi punched him in the arm.  
  
"Alright, children, here's the great news: Miss Tatewaki will be released from the hospital tomorrow!"  
  
The group erupted into cheers and catcalls; Kairi jumped up and threw her arms around her mother while leading her into a silly version of Sora's victory dance. The cheers turned to laughter at the sight, and Ms. Tatewaki shed tears of joy for her daughter. Sora plucked Kairi from her mother and showed her the correct way to do the victory dance - which she proceeded to mock and get scolded at for it - then showed his father.  
  
Dr. Miyazaki imitating his son's victory dance was a sight to cause a new rupture of laughter.  
  
Riku, Taiyou, Jiro and Nami joined in on the fun, and successfully managed to perfect Sora's trademark dance while Sakura and Aki leaned back in an armchair and watched. "Hey guys!" Aki called as everyone began to quiet down.  
  
"We should have a huge party to really celebrate!"  
  
"Speaking of parties, there should be two," Jiro while plopping into Nami's lap. She promptly pushed him off. "One with all the adults, you know, our parents, the doctors and nurses who helped, and relatives, and then another with just us kiddies!"  
  
Ms. Tatewaki scoffed. "An unsupervised party with teenagers?"  
  
Jiro smiled sheepishly. "Aki can supervise."  
  
The group turned to Aki, who thrust his fist into the palm of his hand enthusiastically. "Of course!"  
  
"Aki..."  
  
"Mom, I'm how old?"  
  
"20, but--"  
  
"But?"  
  
She sighed. "Fine. I don't mind as long as Aki is supervising."  
  
The teenagers in the room grinned.  
  
"All right, now for the excellent news: Riku's friends, Leon and Cloud, got us a lawyer at a very affordable rate to work on Miss Tatewaki's case and put the rapist in prison."  
  
Kairi visibly stiffened, causing her mother to walk over to her and pull her into an embrace. The room went silent at the news and waited on Kairi's reaction before they made their own reactions known. "That means," she whispered. "I will have to...tell everyone what exactly happened...especially the lawyer."  
  
"Well, yes, but rest assured, Miss Tatewaki, the lawyer is a very good friend of mine and Riku's father, Yuki. He is a very reliable and dependable man, and after he heard what happened, he is determined to put the man behind bars!"  
  
Silence.  
  
"When can I meet him?"  
  
"Right now actually. He's waiting outside in the lounge. Would you like me to go get him?"  
  
She nodded stiffly.  
  
"All right."  
  
Dr. Miyazaki left the room with an excited stride. Sora then stood up and embraced Kairi, whispering words of comfort in her ear as Nami and Sakura embraced her as well. The boys gathered around her close, also offering their support if she were to go through with the trial.  
  
Riku broke through the circle that formed around Kairi and knelt directly in front of her. He grabbed her hands and looked her in the eye. "If you don't go through with the trial, Kairi, he wins. This will wind up happening again to another young girl in a different place because he will get the mind set that he can do this and not get caught and properly punished. If you aren't going to do this for yourself, do this for the countless girls who never got the opportunity to take their cases to court."  
  
Kairi wiped the tears off her face and hugged Riku. "I will do this. I'm not going to let Kado get the best of me."  
  
"That's the Kairi I know."  
  
The two broke apart, and Sora mouthed 'thank you' to Riku when Kairi turned to Nami's embrace. He smiled in acknowledgement of the thank you and turned to the door. There stood a man about 6'1 with spiky dark chocolate hair pulled into a ponytail that reached the tips of his shoulder blades. Wearing a simple white button down shirt and blacks slacks, a laptop bag was thrown over his shoulders and a small briefcase dangled from his left hand.  
  
His eyes were identical to Sora's.  
  
They were sapphire with a twinkle of mischievousness despite the fact that he seemed to be in his thirties, and they were trained on Sora. The smile adorning his face appeared to be a sad as he gazed at Sora, but there also appeared to be some happiness as well. Sora had never met this man, right?  
  
Sapphire eyes were suddenly locked with his, causing Riku to turn away with an embarrassed blush on his face for being caught staring. From what he could see out the corner of his eye, the doctor was talking to Leon and Cloud, and the man, who he assumed to be the lawyer, was walking towards him. Riku stood up and met the man halfway.  
  
"Are you going to be Kairi's lawyer?"  
  
He nodded. "That's me. Ryo Sekido's my name, putting sacks of shit like Kado in prison is my game. Oh, I shouldn't curse in front of you, should I?"  
  
Ryo smiled sheepishly while laughing loudly. "Aw, you don't mind. You probably do it anyways."  
  
Riku laughed as well, instantly liking the man before him. "You aren't going to lecture me, are you?"  
  
"Actually I am. Here goes: don't say bitch, ass, shit, and fuck really loud in public; Especially not in one sentence!"  
  
The two erupted into fits of laughter. "What is your name?"  
  
"Riku. Riku Kumakura."  
  
The two shook hands, drawing the attention of Dr. Miyazaki. "Everyone! This is Ryo Sekido, the lawyer wanting to get on this case."  
  
Sakura, Jiro, Nami, and Aki greeted him politely while Taiyou and Kairi smiled as their greeting. Sora stared at the older man and tried to sort out why this man seemed so familiar. Even though he was a friend of the family, Sora had never really met this man, only heard his name on occasion at the house. But now seeing him up close, he looked awfully familiar.  
  
Other than the eyes that were identical to his.  
  
Ryo waved to everyone and set his briefcase down on the edge of Kairi's bed. He sat down and smiled warmly at Kairi before asking one question: "Kairi, is it ok with you if I take this to court?"  
  
Kairi nodded. "Let's not rest until he is in prison."  
  
Opening his briefcase, Ryo launched into the procedure of court proceedings and preliminary cautions that will have to be taken, aware of Sora's searching gaze and Riku's overly interested stare.  
  
---  
  
Finished! Here's what's in the next chapter:  
  
-Riku and Taiyou have 'The Talk.'  
  
-Details about what Ryo is planning on doing for the trial are revealed.  
  
-The new vice principal of the school is introduced and has a vital role.  
  
-Riku and Sora continue their talk.  
  
-Kairi's officially released from the hospital and two parties commence.  
  
Thank you all so much for the reviews! Over 300...wow that's great. Also thank you for supporting the trilogy idea. That means a lot to me. Speaking of the trilogy, this part is coming to an end. A few more chapters to go...Stay tuned!  
  
-MercuryGoddess-


	15. Trials and Tribulations 15

_Author Notes_: Long time no see. This chapter was actually really long with all the events going on, but I decided to cut it in half and save the last and final part for later. So...my wonderful, patient, loveable readers...on with Trials and Tribulations Chapter 15!!

_Special Thanks To_: Ickis Krumm, , KageKitsune16, Dark Wing Angel, NiGhTrIkKu, Joonie, Uzumaki-sama, Draconis-Donavan, MusiqMistress, Discordia-Erebus, Katca Mcadar, Ariana, AkaiUsagi, Praetor, Twinstar1, diamondprincess2006, ChibiCatDemon, Sora Otaku, HushedBlaze, TinyClownBean1, takuya89, Illorion, inumoon3, IchigoPocky, lordkagome, Katy Kinneas, dragonchild, Jack, Rock-Howard-17, Super Yam, SilverYami, Lightdemondarkangel, Neko Kate-chan, Van de Fanelia, flclinutri, Junsui-san, and my Mediaminer reviewers shady gurl, Echan2, and Alliey jo!

**Excellent Beta Work by Crystalline Tears!**

_Disclaimer_: If I owned Kingdom Hearts, I would be filthy rich right now!! So, get off my back!!

_Warnings_: This is a yaoi, or to plainly put it male x male relationships! If you don't like it, don't read it!! I don't want to see flames on this subject because I plainly put my warning here!

_Rating:_ I have boosted the rating on this story for future chapters...

**Added Note:** I do have an update list. People who review are automatically added, but if it is an anonymous review or your email is not available for public access, then just leave in it the review or send me an email at saying you would like to join. Thanks!

_Trials and Tribulations _

_Chapter Fifteen_

The discussion about the court proceedings took an hour at most, and even in that short period of time, Kairi's respect for Ryo matched the amount of respect she had for Dr. Miyazaki. The man was silly; the jokes he made had the entire group laughing loudly and wanting to hear more. But he, without a doubt, excelled in his profession, using his meticulous organizational skills to make the client feel rested and assured; his motivational charisma to make the client feel hopeful, and his slap-on-the-knee humor to make the client feel more comfortable.

It was easy to see why Dr. Miyazaki had been so excited.

During the hour, Ryo explained his plan to the teenagers in the room on how he was going to prepare for the trial. When he had first come to the hospital yesterday afternoon with Leon and Cloud, he proposed his plan to Dr. Miyazaki and Mrs. Tatewaki, for they truly were the only adults in the group. What he had explained was simple; launch a full investigation on the Tatewaki house to collect physical evidence concerning Kairi's case. The blood-veiled mop used by Taiyou, the ripped shirt, blood samples and pictures of the bruises taken by the doctors - those items were crucial to the investigation, and by simply taking them to the lab and finding a trace of the boy there, Kado Yamahashi could be thrown in prison for up to 25 years.

Hope renewed, the three adults called the authorities, and because of Ryo's status, the chief of police promised to launch a full investigation tomorrow morning.

Meaning they should have been collecting the evidence during the discussion.

Ryo was now putting the important documents and sketches of the house he made himself back into the briefcase while amicably chatting to Kairi about the upcoming events. Riku made to help Ryo out, but Taiyou touched his arm lightly and motioned to the door with a serious, almost defeated, look on his face. Riku knew from that simple gesture that it was time to talk.

And he dreaded it simply because he knew for sure Taiyou would want to know what the hell was going on.

Sighing, Riku shifted from his original course, to the hospital bed, to the door, not bothering to look at Sora or check to see if Taiyou was still behind him. That irrational urge to run away swelled up in him once more, and he found himself hoping that some way, he could make it through this. 'Lose-lose situation' was the best phrase to describe this scenario; it made him so terrified, he almost forgot the words of wisdom Sora told him just last night.

_You should do what you want to do, not for the sake of what's right._

_Don't ever say you will do something just for the sake of what's right, Riku. That is a very black and white statement; have you forgotten the areas of gray?_

So what if it was black and white? Society is black or white, good or evil, strong or weak. The 'areas of gray' didn't apply - they don't and never will matter!

_It does matter! This is not about what I want, Taiyou wants, or the strangers you are so intent on pleasing want! This is about you; it's your decision and your decision alone!_

Riku froze with one shaking hand on the doorknob and the other clenched tightly in a fist. It was his decision, but what if he makes the wrong one? What if, by chance, he picked Sora and his older brother came to visit, only to leave in disgust at the fact that his younger brother picked his best friend over his boyfriend? What if his feelings for Sora weren't as strong as he thought they were, and they would end up being like those couples who are afraid of breaking it off? What if...?

What if he never saw Sora again after high school?

What would he do then?

The feather-light touch that settled on the small of his back startled him so badly that he had to steady himself by holding on tightly to the door knob. Ignoring the beads of sweat that were starting to trickle down the sides of his face, Riku turned around, breathing as if he ran a marathon, and flashed the concerned Taiyou a weak, reassuring smile. "I'm alright."

His eyes still trained on Riku, Taiyou held the door open for Riku and walked out when his boyfriend left. He looked back at Sora and Ryo, each sporting identical concerned expressions, then began to lead the way to Riku's vacant room. Since it dealt with 'her silver-haired god,' Joyce let Taiyou use the room for 'the talk.' Of course he didn't say exactly why he needed it, but that was none of her business in the first place.

Taiyou looked to Riku, who grew deathly silent over the last few minutes, and mulled over the situation: he heard Riku say that he would pick Sora over him, he heard him say that what Sora said about their relationship was actually true, and he heard that Sora reciprocated the feelings.

Oh boy.

What was he going to say when he sat Riku down to have their talk? Would he be calm, cool, and collect when Riku shared just how much he liked Sora? Or would he wind up listening to his irrational thoughts and end up saying something he would forever regret? Sora broke his inscrutable mask when he said those earth-shattering things to Taiyou a couple of nights ago, so how would he react?

He could only pray that he loved Riku enough to break up with him gently and allow them to be friends afterward.

Taiyou was suddenly in front of the hospital room door, wondering briefly where the time went. Riku was beside him looking absolutely miserable and cornered, showing how much he wanted to run by constantly (and longingly) looking down the hall that lead to Kairi's room. With a sigh and a realization of the inevitable, Taiyou opened the door and went directly to the bed, where in his mind's eyes, he recollected the picture of Riku kissing the shell of Sora's ear with tenderness he had never been on the receiving end of. A wave of helplessness rolled over him, and as he got comfortable and watched Riku sit next to him, he leaned his head back against the propped up pillow and closed his eyes. Almost instantly, he knew what he was going to say. "It's easy to ignore the pain someone else feels. It's so easy that people sometimes do it unconsciously - they avoid the inevitable and carry on with their already trouble-filled lives."

He let a few drops of tears seep through his closed eyelids as he took in a shuddery breath and began to talk once more. "I think that's what I did to you, Riku. Even though you looked fairly normal on the outside, I saw the pain in your eyes when we would hug or kiss or that flicker of sad reminisce, like when I would kiss my mother goodbye and she would hug me with all her might. But I ignored it like an idiot would do. I thought that over time, that flicker would cease to exist and everything would be fine. I continued to see that flicker, though, and always managed to convince myself that there is nothing wrong with remembering your mother and being reminded of her every once and a while.

"When Sora called me a coward that day when we all met, I cried not only because of the pain I caused you from our first break up, but I cried because all this time I had selfishly continued on with our relationship without even trying to see if you had or hadn't changed."

"No, Tai--"

Taiyou held up his hand to stop Riku from talking. He succeeded. "No matter what you say, Riku, you know that it's true when I say that I transferred to our school, realized you were here and asked you to be my boyfriend again at my convenience."

Riku looked away. That was an excellent point; Taiyou _did _just come back and proceeded to start where they left off. And Taiyou did have a habit of saying things that were true freshman year, but not true now because Riku changed.

Example: before his collapse, Riku took everyone (Taiyou, Sora and Kairi being the everyone) to get ice cream at a local shop. When they approached the counter to order, Taiyou immediately ordered for Riku saying that he would like two scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream in a cup, when in truth, Riku wanted three scoops of chocolate cookie dough on a waffle cone.

He had grown to hate mint chocolate chip over the years.

He didn't have the heart to tell him so he went on and ate all of the mint chocolate chip ice cream. While Taiyou went to the restroom, Kairi and Sora had thrown him puzzled looks. "I thought you hated mint chocolate chip," Sora had asked as he licked his two scoops of chocolate cookie dough on a waffle cone.

"I do," Riku had replied, "but I liked it back in freshman year."

Without another word, Sora had handed Riku his cone.

Riku almost smiled at the memory, but refrained from doing so because of Taiyou. Nothing was remotely nice about your current boyfriend not knowing enough about you to the point where he can't even say the things you hate. It's even sadder when your friend-on-the-way-to-best-friend knows more than your boyfriend.

Taiyou's voice broke him out of his train of thought. "Please tell me one thing, Riku."

Riku looked up as his response. "Tell me how you feel about Sora."

Taiyou, who had long since wiped the tears from his eyes, looked into surprised sea green eyes with resolute amber eyes, and reached out to hold Riku's hand.

Riku stiffened on contact simply because he felt very strange holding his boyfriend's hand when he is getting ready to tell him how he felt about another boy. How would Taiyou react? Saying 'I think I'm falling in love with him' could easily destroy the relationship. It would be awkward, tentative - like skating on thin ice when it's clearly known that the ice could break at any moment. Yet all of the proclamations about Sora kept rising, making themselves known. So he didn't pull away, and even went as far as to look Taiyou directly in the eye and say, "I think I love him."

Although he saw a flash of despair in Taiyou's eyes, he kept going, unable to keep what he has been bottling up inside of him a secret any longer.

The dreadful knowledge that truth brings can be painful, but it was a necessity.

"Since the day I met him, he has been a constant in my life. If he were to pack up and leave right now, I think I would be lost, torn, confused - I don't think I would survive."

The hold on Riku's hand slackened.

"There are so many things, so many places I want to show him and share with him...and I hate the feeling because it's something I'm supposed to feel with you."

_Don't say you'll do something for the sake of what's right._

"I'm supposed to be feeling that with my boyfriend, not best friend. It's..._wrong_..."

_That's a very black and white statement; have you forgotten the shades of gray?_

"...but..." He whispered the last part. "I can't help it."

Silence.

"I want you to be happy, Riku," Taiyou murmured as he slid to the edge of the bed and stood up, facing away from Riku. "You can't help who you're attracted to. Two years ago, it was me. Now, it's Sora."

Riku stood up as well, feeling guiltier as the minutes ticked by. "I will be with you, Taiyou."

"If you are happier with Sora, then break up with me, Riku. No 'I'll do it to make you happy' martyr-type shit, please."

"I wouldn't be a martyr!"

"You would." Taiyou's voice was shaking. "What's wrong with making that decision?"

"It's wrong because you're _making_ me choose."

Riku was feeling more and more panicky as the time went on and Taiyou was continuing to make this demand. Taiyou knew who he would choose and why; he already told Sora that if he was presented with the chance to choose, he was choose Taiyou. But after what Sora said yesterday...

He just didn't know.

"Well, life is full of choices!" Sadness forgotten, Taiyou became filled with rage. "You can't get out of making decisions for yourself, especially if it deals with other people. Don't you think that maybe you are hurting me more by staying with me when you don't even like me? Do you think that maybe I would be happier being your friend if you were happier with another person? Stop thinking that by staying with me, you are doing me a favor because you're not! I'd rather be alone!"

Clenched fists were the only means that kept him from striking out as he glared at Riku with disgust and disappointment. He cursed himself for letting his emotions take the reins again.

He didn't have this problem before.

Releasing the tight ball his hands formed into, Taiyou managed to rebuild his cool countenance, waiting for a response from Riku. The boy was once again staring longingly at the hospital door, hands clutched together tightly in his lap, and he refused to look in Taiyou's direction.

He finally let out a deep sigh. "Taiyou, please..."

"Well?"

"I'm...breaking up with you."

Unable to stay, Taiyou left the room and let in the spying pair, Kairi and Sora, his shoulders slumped and his eyes cast downward. He knew Riku was going to break up with him; that was evident by the proclamation he made to Sora yesterday and the hesitation just now. Yet this feeling...

Was this how it felt to be heartbroken?

He felt soft, lithe arms wrap around his waist, and he automatically turned around and buried his face into Kairi's neck and cried.

---

It didn't take a genius to figure out that something was going on among the four friends, Ryo concluded. Call it lawyer's intuition, but the way Taiyou walked out in defeat, Riku walked as if he was walking to his execution, and the way Kairi and Sora followed with too much interest for it to be something mediocre really set the alarm off in his head. From what he heard from the Akiko, Riku had just woken up from passing out because of emotional and physical exhaustion. Whatever was going on, there was no doubt that it was something that Riku wouldn't be able to handle right now.

Deciding to check on the teenagers, Ryo picked up his briefcase, told the doctor and the rest of the occupants of the room that he was off to do some more business, and headed in the direction the group went in. He immediately spotted two figures huddled together two doors down, one figure leaned against the wall with her legs folded neatly beneath her and the other figure leaned across her lap, his face buried in the crook of the other figure's neck.

He recognized them as Kairi and Taiyou.

Quickening his stride, Ryo was beside the pair in a matter of moments. "Are you two ok?"

When Kairi looked up, he immediately knew what happened by the tear streaks and the tight grip she had around Taiyou's neck, Giving her a small nod, Ryo moved from the pair and farther down the hall to confront Riku and Sora. He reached the room quickly from his long strides, Leaning close to the door and hearing nothing, Ryo pressed against the door to make it slightly ajar and peered inside.

In the middle of the hospital bed laid a tangle of arms and legs. Sora was propped up on his knees, supporting the limp figure of Riku while rubbing his back periodically. He was speaking in soft tones - obviously comforting his distraught friend with words of empathy. When Ryo inched closer, he realized that was not the case.

"You disliked the fact that I didn't show my real self," Sora whispered as he moved his hand from Riku's back to his hair. "But you seem to be the same way. Which of you is real - the sexy, devilish, confident-on-the-verge-of-cocky boy I meet the first day of school or the timid sensitive boy I see here now?"

Propping himself onto his elbows, Riku flashed Sora a watered down version of his trademark smirk. "Both."

Sora was surprised at the answer. Ryo was intrigued. "This is a personal side of me; one that not too many people get to see because I hate it.

"You, on the other hand, mold yourself to what people want you to be, and no one has had the privilege to see the real you."

The hand froze.

Riku meet Sora's eyes when it did, seeing the need for isolation slowly begin to rise within him. He then rose fully and embraced the boy like he had for him, content with being in an embrace. Sora's hold tightened, and the feeling he had was something he truly had been waiting for.

"Please give me more time."

Riku didn't need to ask what he meant; he understood and smiled, knowing that soon, Sora will open up. "You have all time in the world. I'll wait."

Sora pulled back from the embrace, a toothy grin adorning his face. "You do realize how corny that saying was just now, don't you?"

Riku laughed loudly, Sora joining him after settling comfortably in the embrace. Ryo chuckled as well, thoughts identical to Sora's, and began to close the door, Sora's gaze following his every action.

---

Finished! Next chapter will be the last, uber-long chapter!

-MercuryGoddess-


End file.
